Do You Believe In Fate?
by Rhiannon321
Summary: Human. When Bella & Edward were young they thought they'd be friends forever. Then Bella moves & everything changes. They forget each other. By a twist of fate, they meet again. Will they remember, will they fall in love? Or will they be torn apart again?
1. Friends Forever Ch 1

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everybody! I'm back! Yay! Lol, anyways this is my second story, and I'm really excited to get it started. It's a human fanfic, about how when they were little, Edward and Bella were best friends and had that little kid crush on each other. But then Bella moved away, and after a while they forgot about each other. But then in a twist of fate, they meet again. How will their lives be changed? Will they remember? Will they fall in love? Or will they be torn apart once again? Beware, rated M for a reason!! Anyways, this first chapter will show Bella's move, and how Edward and she are doing now as adults.

**Friends Forever**

"Moving? What do you mean, Bells?" Edward asked, his voice trembling in confusion and sadness. Two best friends sat in a yard, just as they had countless times before. They were at Edward's big white house, and they sat in the pretty yard in front. Both were at the young tender age of four, and had grown up together practically from birth. Their mothers, Elizabeth Masen and Renee Swan, were best friends, and lived minutes apart in the small rainy town of Forks, Washington. But today was different. Today everything would change.

"I gotta go. My mommy says that we're moving to… Feeniks." She pronounced carefully. Edward frowned, his wavy bronze hair falling into his eyes. Said eyes were a brilliant shade of green and looked very troubled.

"But… why?" he asked. Bella shrugged miserably, her curly brown hair bouncing.

"I don't know. Mommy says she and daddy don't want the same things no more. They've been fighting." She said quietly. Edward wrapped his small arms around her and squeezed.

"I don't want you to go!" he said, starting to cry.

"I don't want to neither. But mommy says we got to." Bella sniffled. Edward pulled back.

"But we'll still be friends, right? You promised! You said friends forever, remember?" he asked. Bella's big brown eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know. I want to stay friends, but Mommy says Feeniks is far away." She said. Edward's mouth trembled. "Oh Eddie! I'll miss you lots and lots!" she cried.

They sat there and cried until Bella's mom, Renee came to get her. "Come on, baby. It's time to go." She said. All of their things were already loaded into the station wagon. They were just here to say goodbye. Edward's mom and dad came out too, and hugged Bella.

"We'll miss you, honey." Liz said.

"Yeah. Take care, kiddo." Edward Sr. said.

"Bye, Aunt Liz, Uncle Eddie." Bella said. They weren't really her aunt and uncle, but they might as well have been since they spent so much time together.

Renee said her last goodbyes too, as Bella hugged Edward tightly. "Love you!" she whispered.

"Love you, too." He whispered back.

"You'll always be my bestest friend. Even if we don't see each other no more. You'll always be my friend." She said. Edward nodded silently. Renee tugged Bella gently towards the car, and Liz held Edward's shoulders. Bella was buckled into her seat, and then Renee started the car. As they started to pull out the drive, Edward pulled away from his mother and ran after the car. He ignored his mother's voice and ran as fast as he could.

"Bella!" he cried. Bella turned around in her seat, and saw him running towards her. She cried out when he stumbled, and fell. She put her tiny hand on the back window, and wept for her friend as they pulled out of sight…

18 years later…

BPOV

"Mary Alice Brandon! Rosalie Lillian Hale!" I shouted furiously. Damn that little pixie and her partner in crime! Alice was my best friend – well, one of them at least. She, Rosalie, and Angela tied for first. Although, Alice and Rose were a lot more like sisters than friends, even though I loved Angela dearly. I had met Alice and Rose while I was going to college in Portland, Oregon. After dealing with the most horrible roommates ever – girls who thought they were vampires and didn't come out during the day, girls who brought their boy toys home and had _personal relations_ with them while I was in the room, and girls who were just plain irritating or snobby – we'd given up and gotten a three bedroom apartment together a couple miles from campus.

Alice was short, impossibly skinny and graceful, with short spiky black hair and brown eyes, and had the first bedroom on the right. Rosalie looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine, with a tall, slim figure, big blue eyes, and golden hair that waved down her back, and she had the bedroom down the hall to the left. I however looked rather plain and average next to my supermodel friends, and had the bedroom directly down the hall in between the other two.

Alice and Rose were kind of reckless and flighty, but I did my best to keep them grounded. Without much luck, though. But I didn't care, I loved them just the way they were, and they kept me laughing. Alice was a personal shopper, (can you guess what her favorite hobby is?) and going to school for business and design classes since she wanted to run her own clothing store someday. Rosalie was also working as a personal shopper, however it was to pay for fine tuning her already kick ass mechanical skills in the tech college she was enrolled in.

I was in college too, majoring in literature, while working as a waitress in a restaurant. Though I had to work twice as hard as everyone there since I was such a klutz, I constantly had to watch where I walked, should I trip over a straw wrapper or my own feet, or possibly nothing at all. Anyways, I majored in literature, because while no one but Alice and Rose knew, I wanted to become a writer. They were always there for me, encouraging and supporting me, and giving me the occasional kick in the ass when I needed it.

But at this particular moment, I wanted to throttle them both. "Alice, Rose, I mean it! Get in here this instant!" I shouted, stomping my foot. Alice danced into my room, her face the picture of innocence, spare for the wicked glint in her eyes.

"What I'd do?" she asked. Rose walked in right behind her, a similar expression of feigned innocence plastered on her gorgeous face.

"Yeah, what's the matter Bella?" she asked. I glared at them both, and pointed to my closet.

"What, _the hell_, happened to my clothes?" I demanded. They both looked at my closet, and frowned in fake confusion.

"What do you mean? Everything looks perfectly fine. You've got great clothes in there, Bella." Rose said. I took a deep breath to try and calm myself.

"That's the _point_. All of _my_ clothing is gone! All that's left is the stuff you guys force me to buy! Half my wardrobe is missing!" I said. Alice sighed.

"Bella, honey, all that stuff was terrible! It was too big, and frumpy, and we couldn't see any of your yummy curves under it." She said, wiggling her eyebrows at me. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alice, you and I both know I have no curves to speak of, though it's sweet of you to say so." I said. I sighed. "I suppose it's useless to ask you to give me my clothing back?" I asked. Rose looked thoughtful.

"Well, how about we compromise?" she asked. I eyed her warily.

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"How about you chose half the items we took away, but we get to help choose which half." She said. I thought about that.

"It sounds like I'm getting the short end of the deal." I said.

"Then we'll take you shopping for new clothing tomorrow, our treat, and you get to choose… four out of the eight items we buy." Alice added. I considered. That would pretty much replenish my closet. I sighed.

"Fine. I agree to the terms of your contract." I said sarcastically. Alice clapped and bounced excitedly.

"Yay! You're a treasure Bella!" She said, bouncing up to me and kissing my cheek. I laughed, and swiped at it.

"Eeww! Pixie cooties!" I teased her. She laughed.

"You know you love it." She said, and then headed to the living room. Rose laughed, and followed her.

I shook my head. Where would I be without those two? Probably with a lot less stress, but a lot less fun, and a lot less self esteem. While they could be a pain in the ass, they were always looking out for me. I sighed. It was Friday, our movie night. Well, that is if none of us had dates, which more often than not we didn't. It wasn't uncommon for me, seeing as how I was so shy around the opposite sex, but it was strange for Alice and Rose not to have dates.

I went into the living room, and settled myself on the couch, with Rose on the loveseat and Alice lying on her stomach on the floor. Tonight's selection was The Notebook. A hopelessly romantic and sappy chick flick that we all loved. We were fully prepared with Kleenex and Rocky Road ice cream. I looked around, and shook my head. "How sad are we, ladies?" I asked. Alice and Rose looked at me, and nodded solemnly.

"Tell me about it. I haven't met a decent guy in weeks!" Alice whined.

"Me neither. It seems as though we've gone through all the semi-decent guys in this area. And found that none of them are as decent as we thought." Rose put in. I nodded.

"It's rather ridiculous. Why can't guys be like Noah?" Alice asked, gesturing at the T.V screen. "Sweet, funny, honest, romantic, hot, and willing to commit to a serious relationship." She said. We giggled.

"Because then they'd be gay." I laughed. Alice and Rose giggled hysterically, remembering my last boyfriend, who had been all of those things. Gay included.

Rosalie sighed. "I want a man whose tall, strong, handsome, sweet, caring, funny, and will worship the ground I walk on." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"Rose, all guys worship the ground you walk on." I said. She laughed.

"True, but I want him to worship _everything_ about me. Not just my looks." She said. Alice sighed too.

"I want someone who's a gentleman, sweet, sensitive, and _interesting_." She said. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. The last guy she dated had turned out to be duller than a box of rocks. Literally. He'd gone on and on about his accounting agency and Alice had _actually_ fallen asleep during one of their dates. No joke. She was still pretty irritated about it.

They both rounded on me. "So how about you, Bella?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, what's your dream guy?" asked Rose. I thought for a moment.

"Well… I know it sounds silly, but I've always kind of had this image of someone in my head. Kind of like a dream that you've had over and over, or a story from when I was a kid. But I can't quite remember where it's from, or what it means." I said. I blushed furiously. "That probably sounds stupid." I said. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Bells, you've gotta stop assuming that any stray thought that comes out of your mouth is stupid. Tell us more." She said. I hesitated, but did as she asked.

"Well, I don't really know what he looks like, but I know he's cute. He's sweet, funny, thoughtfully, and he loves me for who I am. He's my best friend. " I said softly.

"But you don't know who he is?" Alice asked; a dreamy look on her face. I shook my head.

"Wow. I wonder if he's real…" Rose thought, with the same look Alice had. I shrugged. I'd always had that image in my mind. As long as I could remember. It had always been comforting; like someone was always there for me, watching out for me…

EPOV

"Emmet, not again…" I groaned.

"Come on, Eddie! Just one more round! I want a rematch." He pleaded like a little kid. I sighed, and looked down at him since I was on the couch and him on the floor.

"If I agree, will you promise to stop calling me Eddie?" I asked.

"Done!" he agreed triumphantly. I sighed, and dutifully picked up the Xbox controller, though I knew he'd never stop calling me that. No matter how many times I told him, it always 'slipped his mind'.

Emmet and I were in the middle of an Xbox racing match, while we waited for Jasper to return with pizza. I'd already beaten him three times, and yet he still insisted I was cheating somehow. But he took comfort in the fact that while I destroyed him in racing, he could kick my ass in Halo.

Emmet, Jasper and I had been friends for years. We'd met when we were seven, and had been inseparable ever since. We grew up together in Forks, causing all kinds of trouble, and then had moved to Portland to get some space from our parents without being too far away. Emmet's parents had moved to Florida to retire, while Jasper's had gone back to their home town in Texas. (Even though Jasper was from Texas, he didn't have an accent because they'd moved early on). My parent's however had stayed in the microscopic town of Forks.

Emmet was big and burly, with three inches on my height of 6'2, with lots of muscle, dark brown curly hair and brown eyes. Jasper was about the same height as me, with blonde hair, and blue eyes. We were all in college, and all had jobs to help pay for it. We actually all worked at the mall (sad, yes I know). I worked in a small book/music store with Jasper, and Emmet worked across the street in a car shop, seeing as how he was the car junkie. I liked cars too, but not as much as I loved my music. I was majoring in music in college, Jasper in history, and Emmet in mechanics.

It was a blast to go to college and work close with my friends. But sometimes I just needed space, which was why I had my own small apartment across the hall from Jasper and Emmet's shared two bedroom apartment. We were practically brothers, and did most everything together, but had our spats just like all siblings did. Such as now when I yet again defeated Emmet, and he yet again accused me of cheating. Thankfully Jasper got home before things got ugly. Emmet could get really riled up when it came to competition… of any kind.

"Emmet, cut it out. You always think he's cheating." Jasper said, rolling his eyes.

"That's 'cause he is." Emmet muttered. But he soon forgot about it, since there was now food thrown in the mix.

Once we'd all settled in with pizza and Coke, we turned on tonight's selected action flick – Transporter. Lots of explosions, fast cars, and guys beating the crap out of each other – how could you go wrong? While watching the movie, I thought about how sad this was. After all, we were three young, attractive, employed and enrolled men, and yet we were sitting around playing video games and watching movies with pizza and soda on a Friday night. How much more pathetic could you get?

After the movie was over, I told the guys just that. They agreed enthusiastically.

"I hear you, man. I mean, a fling now and then is okay, but I'm tired of bubble headed girls whose only talents are in the physical realm, you know?" Emmet asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, I know." About the bubble headed idiot part anyways. But I decided not to point this out, since I was teased endlessly about my lack of ambition to get laid with the first girl who offered. Jasper nodded.

"Yeah, I'm ready for a serious relationship, too." He said. We all grew quiet, each thinking about our ideal woman.

"Blonde…" Emmet said suddenly. "I'm really into blondes." He said. I couldn't help but snicker.

"You hear that, Jazz? Emmet's really into you." I said. They both took it good naturedly, as it was meant to be, and laughed until I thought they'd wet themselves.

"You know what I meant, Edward." Emmet said once he got his breath back. I laughed.

"Yeah, I know." I said. Then I sighed. "It's not as if we're not proactive about this, right? Are all the decent girls hidden away somewhere?" I asked. Emmet grinned.

"No, they're just too smart to go out with the likes of you." He said. I glared at him, but it was ruined by my grin. Emmet was one that kept our little group solid, real so to speak; as ridiculous as that sounds. Sometimes Jasper and I got wrapped up in our own little worlds, or forgot to keep things light, and not take everything so seriously. Emmet was the one who made sure we got out into the world, had fun, and were around other people. And me and Jasper made sure Emmet didn't make a _complete_ fool out of himself, or get into _too_ much trouble. All in all, we made quite the team…

**Ending Note:** Hey everybody! I hope you liked the first chapter. I do. Heehee. Anyways, I'm going to be posting another two today, so read on! Please review!!! Messages are amazing too. Lol. Peace!!!!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~


	2. Chance Meetings Ch 2

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey peeps. Here is the second chapter. This is where Bella and Edward meet. Sparks will fly…Yay! Lol.

**A Chance Meeting**

BPOV

The Saturday morning was… interesting. Well, if you call war over clothing interesting. Rose and Alice laid the clothing they'd stolen out on the living room floor, and then we faced off. Alice and Rose on one side of the heap, me on the other. Damn their tag teaming ways! But, I held my own. I could be just as stubborn as them when I wanted to be. As a result of my wonderful hardheadedness, I won back two pairs of sweatpants, two pairs of jeans, a comfy sweater, and a pair of sneakers. I think it went rather well.

After our small and relatively peaceful war, it was time to head to mall, as promised. I went willingly, because I got to pick out half of the stuff we'd be getting. Alice and Rose of course dragged me to pretty much every store, and insisted I try on everything they shoved at me. Thankfully they didn't pick out anything too drastic. Last time they tried to get me to by a sequined, red strapless top, and a leather mini skirt. I just wasn't the leather mini skirt type. This time they kept it down to a pair of tight low riser jeans, and black mini skirt, a pair of high heels, and a deep blue v-neck blouse that I actually really liked. I picked out a black tee that proclaimed 'Bite Me', a Snow Patrol band tee, and two pair of slacks for work or school.

With my items bought and paid for, Alice and Rose wandered around for some things for themselves. Why was beyond me; they could hardly fight their clothing into their closet and dresser as it was. When we came upon Victoria's Secret, Alice and Rose pounced. I stayed behind on a bench; that store scared me sometimes. That, and Alice and Rose would make me try on the most ridiculous items they could find. So I settled myself onto the bench, my purchases next to me, and finally let my poor feet rest.

I was just about to go drag Alice and Rosalie out when I spotted a store I'd never been in before. It was a small book/music store, and it was kind of tucked into the back. It looked cozy, welcoming, and privet. How could I resist taking a peek?

I picked up my bags, and walked inside. Soft music played in the background, and the smell of paper, ink, and leather surrounded me and pulled me in. I sighed; I loved books like Alice and Rose loved shoes – and that was saying something. I wandered in and out of the aisles, only seeing a couple people. I found the aisle that held plays, and selected my favorite by Shakespeare; Romeo and Juliet.

I sat my bags down, and flipped through the pages, rereading all my favorite scenes. As usual, the words, the characters, and the story drew me in, and soon I was lost in it. Which I suppose is why I didn't see or hear him coming until he was right next to me. I think I caught a whiff of his scent just before he spoke. It slipped into my consciousness through the story; sweet, and thick, but very distinctly male.

"May I help you find something?" a velvet voice asked. My head jerked up, and I think I gasped. First in surprise, then in complete and utter awe. He was the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. The first thing I noticed was his eyes; they were a startlingly beautiful shade of green. Then his hair, which was wonderfully untidy, causing it to fall slightly into his eyes, and was an unusual but sexy shade of bronze. His face was perfect, with sharp angles, and a full sensuous mouth. There was something almost… familiar about that face. I shook the feeling off. I then noticed suddenly he was tall, over six feet tall, with a strong, lean build. My thoughts instantly flew apart in a million different directions.

When I continued to not say anything, his brilliant green eyes turned amused. "Are you lost, then?" he asked, smiling. I had to yet again try to gather my thoughts. He had a wonderful smile. I shook my head, irritated with myself. Getting all worked up over a guy was so unlike me. I tried a smile.

"No, I'm not lost. Just wandering." I said. He smiled, and nodded.

"Wandering is good in a bookstore. You can find make new favorites, and get reacquainted with old ones." He said, gesturing to the book in my hands. I nodded shyly.

"I suppose I was a bit lost then; in the story that is." I said. He smiled. He held out a long, narrow hand.

"I'm Edward, what's your name?" he asked.

EPOV

Wow. I noticed her the minute she walked in the door. She was petite, just a little bit short, and slim, and beautiful. She had thick brown hair, which fell in long, loose curls around a heart shaped face. She had big brown eyes, and a full pouting mouth. She was weighted down with several bags, and she kept looking down at them and sighing as if they were offending her in some way.

I was so distracted with looking at her that Jasper had to slap me upside my head to get my attention. "Ouch! What the hell was that for?" I demanded, rubbing my head. Jasper rolled his eyes while smirking.

"If you weren't so busy looking at pretty girls, then you'd have heard me practically shouting at you." He said. I grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" I asked. Jasper laughed.

"I was saying that you should go talk to her." He said. I hesitated. Jasper raised his eyebrows. "The ever charming and flawless Edward hesitating? What is this?" he asked. I rolled my eyes.

"I never claimed to be flawless. Charming I'll take credit for, though." I said.

"So why then?" Jasper asked.

"It's nothing." I murmured. I walked out from around the counter, and began to look through the aisles.

The truth was I didn't know why I hesitated. I'd never in my life been nervous around women – not once. I liked women, and that like made it fairly easy for me to be around them. Things generally flowed well, as long as they weren't bubble heads, as was mentioned before. But there was something about _this_ girl. There was something that told me she was important, special. I shook myself out of those thoughts. One step at a time, I reminded myself.

I finally found her in Shakespeare, interesting choice. I took a deep breath to steady myself, and walked forward. "May I help you find something?" I asked. The instant she turned around, I felt at ease. I felt comfortable, boarding on familiar. I shook that feeling off too; it was ridiculous.

She was even prettier up close. Her big brown eyes were wide with shock, and her mouth was parted slightly. She looked so surprised, I couldn't help but smile. "Are you lost then?" I asked. She shook her head as if to clear it, and gave me a tentative smile. God she was beautiful.

"No, I'm not lost. Just wandering." She said. She had a wonderful voice, too.

"Wandering is good in a bookstore. You can find make new favorites, and get reacquainted with old ones." I said, nodding towards the book in her hand. She nodded, seeming a bit hesitant.

"I suppose I was a bit lost then; in the story that is." She said. I smiled, and held out my hand. "I'm Edward, what's your name?" I asked. She smiled, and took it.

"Isabella, but everybody calls me Bella." She said. Bella… the name seemed familiar, just like her face, but it was such a vague feeling it slipped away easily. I raised her hand to my lips on impulse, and kissed her knuckles softly. She got that same started and slightly confused look she had when she first saw me. I chuckled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella." I said. She made a noise, sort of like a whimper, as she pulled her hand away. Interesting. Her skin was impossibly smooth, and soft. Like warm silk. I forced myself to stop thinking about the way she looked, and focused on getting to know her. _Start a conversation_.

"So what brings you here? To the mall, that is." I asked. Bella jumped, and glanced at her watch.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe how much time I've spent in here! I'm sorry, my friends are waiting." She said. "It was nice meeting you!" She called as she dashed off. I went to stop her, then realized she'd left all her purchases on the floor. I smiled, and shook my head. She'd be back. I picked up the bags, and head back in front.

BPOV

I hoped Alice and Rose hadn't been waiting too long. First with reading, and then meeting Edward… Edward; what an interesting name. It was old fashion, but it sounded nice rolling off the tongue. And damn if he wasn't the most handsome man I'd ever met. Movie stars included.

I dashed out of the store, and saw Alice and Rose waiting for me by the bench. I sighed in relief, and walked over to them. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I got distracted." I said, waving towards the bookstore. When I thought of just who had distracted me, I blushed. Rose shrugged.

"That's okay. We know how you are with books." She said, smiling.

"Yeah, books." I murmured, blushing even more. Alice tilted her head to the side, and studied my face.

"Bella, why are you blushing?" she asked.

"I'm not. And if I am, it's from the run." I said, glaring at her. She grinned.

"Mmhm. So, where are your bags?" she asked innocently. I looked around, and realized I'd left them in the store.

"Crap! I must've forgotten them in there." I mumbled. I was reluctant to go back in, because Alice and Rose would undoubtedly want to come in too, and see what made me blush.

Sure enough, Alice grinned. "Well come on then, let's go get them." She chirped lacing her arm through mine. I groaned, and let myself be dragged back in. Rose just laughed and followed. When we got in the store, I immediately noticed that Edward was at the counter. I thought I could see my bags just behind the counter. He didn't see me though, because he was talking to the tall blonde next to him. I decided to be sneaky. "Alice, Rose, how about you guys look that way, and I'll look this way." I said, gesturing in opposite directions. They shrugged.

"Sure." I sighed in relief, and waited until they were out of sight until I hurried to the counter.

I got there just as the blonde guy walked around the counter and disappeared into the aisles. Edward saw me, and grinned. "Forget something?" he asked. I blinked. He had the cutest crooked grin, and I couldn't help but smile sheepishly in response.

"Yeah. Can I have my bags back, please?" I asked. He chuckled, and lifted them up onto the counter. I was about to reach for them when he grabbed my hand lightly.

"You can have them back on one condition." He said. I eyed him warily.

"What's that?" I asked. He smiled.

"Nothing painful, I assure you. You can have them back, if I can have your number." He said. I blinked in surprise. He wanted _my_ number? Mine? I was unable to speak.

APOV

I was browsing through the aisles, chuckling to myself as I looked for Bella's bags. This was such a classically Bella move. She was constantly forgetting things, and getting wrapped up in her own little world. I liked to think that Rose and I kept her grounded though.

I was just about to head back to the front to find Rose, when I sensed someone behind me. I turned around, and saw the most handsome man I'd ever seen standing just a foot away. He was tall, muscular, with blonde hair, and dark mysterious blue eyes. We simply stared at each other for several beats. Then I smiled. "Hello. I've been waiting for you." I said. "You're rather late." I scolded him lightly. He smiled.

"I'm terribly sorry. I got held up." He replied. He held out his arm for me, and I linked mine through it. I leaned comfortably into his side, fitting perfectly there. "I'm Jasper, by the way." He said.

"I'm Alice." I said. He smiled.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Alice." He said. Well hot damn… there goes my heart.

EPOV

Bella looked really rather surprised. "My number?" she asked. "Why would you want my number?" I chuckled.

"So that I can find you, again. A phone number is a traditional way to go about that." I said. She continued to look surprised, and then I saw Jasper reappear. He had a tiny brunette on his arm, and they were smiling at each other. Hmm. That was strange. I didn't think I'd ever seen her before, and Jasper would have mentioned something. But they looked perfectly comfortable and familiar with each other, for seeming to have just met.

The little brunette grinned when she saw Bella. "Hey Bells. Looks like you found your bags." She said in a high, musical voice. Then she turned to me. "Hi. I'm Alice." She said.

"Edward and it's a pleasure to meet you. Could you perhaps persuade this lovely girl in front of me to give me her number? She seems a bit hesitant." I said. Bella glared at me, and seemed to mumble 'Cheater' under her breath. I just grinned at her. She looked really cute when she was mad.

"Of course Bella will give you her number. Won't you Bella?" she asked turning to face her. Bella sighed, and held out her hand to Alice. Alice dug around in a little purse she had on her arm, and gave Bella a pen and paper. Bella wrote down her number, and gave it to me. I smiled at her.

"Thanks. Here are your bags." I said. Bella took them, and sighed again. I gripped her arm lightly, and leaned over the counter. "Bella?" I called. She froze. "I look forward to seeing you again." I murmured in her ear. She nodded, and blushed the most beautiful shade of pink.

BPOV

I was walking unsteadily after Edward had whispered in my ear, his warm breath fanning over my cheek. I shivered at the memory. "Come on, Alice. We gotta find Rosalie." I mumbled.

"She's here." Rose said cheerfully. "I see you found your bags Bells." She said. I nodded.

"Well, we better get going." Alice said. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed the tall blonde on the cheek, and whispered something to him. He nodded, and smiled. "Come on ladies. Bye guys!" she called over her shoulder. Edward and his friend waved, and then Edward winked at me. I felt my heart stutter and tumble in my chest.

"So, are you two going to explain what just happened, or do I have to guess?" Rose asked. I sighed. Today was going to be a _long_ day.

**Ending Note:** I hope you liked this chapter. Lots more fun and romance to ensue! Review! Message! Yay! Peace!!! ~~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	3. Three For Three Ch 3

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey guys. Here is the third chapter. I hope you like it!

**Three for Three**

I quickly explained what had happened between me and Edward. Rose was thrilled. "That's great, Bella! He was totally cute! He's way better than all those other losers you force yourself to date. I don't know why you do." She said. I glared at her.

"I don't date losers. I date guys in my league." I said. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Bella sweetie, the guys you force yourself to date shouldn't be in anybody's league. Edward is much more your pace." She said. I rolled my eyes. "Wait, is that why you were so hesitant about giving him your number?" she asked.

"Duh." I mumbled.

"Bella, that's ridiculous. He's totally into you." Alice said. I bit my lip, and played with a strand of my hair.

"You think?" I asked nervously. I really wanted to believe it.

"Of course. You'd have to be blind not to see it." Rosalie confirmed. I sighed.

"I hope so." I murmured. Alice grinned.

"So I take it you like him, too?" she asked. I nodded and blushed. "Good. Then when he calls, which he will, we shall set ourselves up on a date." She said.

"Wait, we?" I asked.

"Of course. Jasper is friends with Edward. We can double date." She said as if it was obvious. Rose and I looked at each other.

"Okay, spill the beans." Rose said. I nodded in agreement.

When Alice was done with her story, Rose and I were staring in amazement. "You just blurted that out? And he went for it?" I asked. Alice smiled and nodded.

"Wow. Major wow." Rose said. I nodded.

"That's…. wow." I said. It took a special person to understand the way that Alice's mind worked, and the fact that Jasper had right off the bat, gave him major kudos as far as I was concerned. And by the look on Rose's face it was safe to assume she felt the same.

"I feel kind of left out. You guys both meet great guys, and now I'm the odd duck out." Rose said, pouting.

"Ah, don't worry, Rose. We'll find you somebody, don't you worry." Alice said. Rose sighed.

"I hope so. Being single sucks." She said. I nodded absently. My mind was currently elsewhere, thinking about a pair of piercing green eyes.

EPOV

"So, how do you know Alice?" I asked. When Jasper quickly explained what had happened, I smiled. "Sounds like quite the interesting girl." I said. Jasper nodded, looking far away. I could already tell he was a goner for this girl. But that was okay, because she seemed to be in the same boat as him. Then Bella's face swam up into my mind. God she was something else. I could already tell she was going to be something special. That shy smile, that lovely blush…

I was caught up in my own thoughts when suddenly I realized something that made me laugh out loud. Jasper smiled. "What?"

"Emmet's gonna be pissed. He missed a blonde." I said, remembering the tall attractive blonde that had been with Bella and Alice. Rosalie I think her name was. Jasper laughed.

"Oh yeah. Man, sucks for him. Well, since she's friends with the girls maybe he'll get another shot." He said. I liked that he assumed we'd be seeing the girls again. Sometimes I loved Jasper's optimism.

"Yeah, maybe. Speak of the devil," I said, noticing Emmet walking into the store. As usual, he had grease smeared across his fingers and face, and a mile wide grin.

"Successful day?" Jasper asked.

"You bet your ass." Emmet said. He plopped down in one of the chairs that the break room provided.

"You didn't touch anything in the store did you?" I asked, eyeing his dirty hands suspiciously. Emmet rolled his eyes.

"No, I didn't touch anything. Jeez. So, how was your guy's day?" he asked. Jasper and I grinned at each other.

"You want to tell him, or should I?" I asked Jasper. He laughed.

"By all means," he said. Emmet looked from me to Jazz.

"What? What'd I miss?" he asked.

After I'd finished telling him exactly what he missed, he had just the reaction I imagined. "Aw, man! That sucks!" he whined. I laughed.

"For you anyways. But hey, maybe you'll get another chance." I said, trying to cheer him up. Emmet sighed.

"Yeah. So was she hot?" he asked. I assumed he was referring to Rosalie. I shrugged.

"Yeah, not really my type. I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to her." I said. I was much more focused on a certain brunette with an easy blush. Emmet sighed.

"Figures." He grumbled. Jasper and I laughed.

"Well, come on guys. Let's head out." He said, grabbing his jacket. I followed suit, and we all headed out to the car, Emmet still grumbling to himself. I bit back a snicker.

BPOV

The next couple of days were crazy. Between work and school, I barely had enough time to sleep, eat, and shower. When Wednesday rolled around, my one day off besides Saturday, I was exhausted. I flopped myself down on the couch, and sighed, ready for some personal rest and relaxation. Then I realized I hadn't even glanced at my cell phone in days. Crap! I was just about to pick it up off the counter when it rang. Hmm.

I read the caller ID, and saw it was my mom. I groaned, but answered it. "Hey, mom." I said, trying not to sigh. My mother could be very eccentric sometimes, and was always looking to set me up with some guy or another. Even when she still lived in Arizona. I'd moved there with her when I was little, but when I'd grown up, I wanted to be somewhere new, start over fresh. My dad lived in Forks, and I visited every now and again, but being in Oregon meant I was almost exactly between my mom and my dad. It was perfect.

"Hey sweetie! How are you? Is everything going okay? How's Alice and Rose?" she asked. Luckily my mom adored Alice and Rosalie, so she didn't worry about me so much being on my own.

"I'm fine, everything's good. Alice and Rose are great." I said.

"How's school, and work?" she asked.

"They're fine, everything's fine." I said.

"Good. Well," then my mother proceeded to tell me everything that had been happening since the last time she called two weeks ago. I only half listened, but made the right noises in the right places. When we'd caught up, and made plans for me to visit in a month for Thanksgiving, we said goodbye.

I sighed again. Sometimes talking to my mom could be exhausting. Then I remembered what I'd been doing before I'd answered the phone. I flipped open my cell, and saw there was one missed call, and one new voice message. My heart began to pound as I played the message. It went into overtime when I heard Edward's silky voice over the phone.

"Hey Bella; it's Edward. I was calling to ask you out to dinner, but I guess I missed you. Well, my friends and I are heading to a club tomorrow night, if maybe you wanted to come. You could of course bring Alice, and Rosalie." He gave me the time and the address of where they were going to be. "I hope to see you there. Bye Bella." He said.

I sighed as I hung up the phone. He'd remembered my friends' names. God he was amazing, and thoughtful. I looked to see when the message was left, then squeaked. It was left yesterday! I looked at my watch, and saw it was five o'clock. He'd said seven. Shit!

I dashed down the hall and pounded on Alice's door. "What?!" she shouted as she ripped it open. "Why are you trying to breakdown my door in the middle of my yoga?" she demanded.

"Edward called." I panted. She grinned.

"Yay! I told you he would." I waved that off.

"Invited you, me, Rose to club. Seven! Need to get ready!" I said. Alice's eyes widened.

"Is Jasper going to be there?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, hell! Why didn't you say so?! Rose!" she called. Rose popped her head out of her room.

"What?"

"Club night, get your booty ready!" she said. Rose grinned.

"Excellent!" she said, and then disappeared back into her room. Alice dragged me over to my room, and to my closet. She pulled out the dark blue top, black skirt, and high heels we'd bought at the mall, and thrust them at me.

"Where these, and don't argue! I gotta go change!" she said. Then she dashed off to her own room. I thought she could make an excellent general.

I did as she said, and pulled on the skirt and shirt. I couldn't deny they looked pretty good. I was nervous about the shoes though. Alice wanted klutzy me to wear high heels? Ha! I walked bare foot into Alice's room and saw she was already dressed. She was wearing a dark green slinky dress, with killer black boots, big silver hoop earrings, and bangle bracelets. "Wow, you look great!" I said, grinning. Alice smiled, and did a little twirl.

"Thanks. So do you. Why aren't you wearing your shoes?" she asked. I gave her my best 'yeah right' look.

"Alice, you do know me, right? Me, the klutz who can trip over nothing but air?" I asked. Alice laughed.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll teach you how to walk in them, won't we Rose?" she asked just as Rosalie walked in. She'd be turned heads tonight. She was wearing a sizzling red strapless shirt, and tight low riser jeans that made her butt and legs look amazing.

"Sure we will. Come on, we'll give you a crash course." She said.

I followed Rose and Alice out to the living room, and slipped on the sexy little silver heels. They'd been teaching me how to dance, and I was pretty damn good, if I said so myself, but we hadn't worked up to heels yet. As promised, they gave me a crash course in walking in high heels, and I felt a bit better about wearing them. Once we'd all applied one last bit of makeup, we were ready to go, and just in time.

We all piled into Rose's red BMW convertible, since my truck was ancient and wouldn't go over 50 miles an hour and Alice's little Porsche wouldn't fit all three of us inside. Yes I know, a BMW and Porsche are expensive, but Alice and Rose's parents were filthy stinking rich, so they could afford it.

When we reached the club, we saw it was pretty packed. We made it inside, and were immediately immersed in music. Like most night clubs, the bar was on the right, the dance floor was huge and on the left, and then there were some tables in the back, and on the second floor. Rose and Alice took me out dancing once a week to try and get me to flirt and dance, so I was pretty used to it by now.

We made our way to the second floor, and snagged a table near the rail so we had the best view. Rose asked a waiter oh-so-sweetly, if he could reserve the table for us, and of course he did. No one refused Rosalie. When she bent over to find her lipstick in her purse on the seat, I swear three guys got whiplash from turning to look at her.

We then headed down to the dance floor, and looked for the guys. Alice was so small she easily weaved her way in and out of the crowd, saying she'd be back. Rose went off on her own, since she was unattached. I stayed pretty much where I was, dancing to the music, and craning my neck to look for Edward.

Suddenly, I felt someone brush my hair over my shoulder, and whisper in my ear. "I'm glad you could make it." I shivered, and turned around. There was Edward, looking sexy as hell, and grinned that crooked grin at me. I smiled back.

"Sorry I didn't return your call. Things have been kinda crazy." I said.

"Why don't you tell me all about it… after you dance with me?" He asked. I grinned.

"Oh, I don't know. What if you can't dance?" I asked. Oh my god! Was I flirting? I was flirting! Holy shit! Edward grinned.

"I sure I can keep up." He said. I smiled, and let him turn me around. He put his hands on my hips, and I shuddered. Damn… We started moving in time with the music, and I closed my eyes. I danced just the way that Rose and Alice had taught me, remembering to move my hips, arms, and legs. It was amazing. Edward and I were perfectly in sync; when I moved, he moved with me, when he took a breath, I took one too. It was the best dance of my life…

RPOV

Since Alice was looking for her guy, Jasper, and I could see Bella dancing with the bookstore cutie Edward, I wandered the dance floor. When I found a suitable spot, I began to dance. Dancing was one of my favorite pass times; it let you relax, clear your head, and flirt all at the same time, depending on how you did it, and who with.

Suddenly I felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around, and some random guy grinning at me. "Hey baby, you want to dance?" he slurred. I sighed. The only downside to clubbing was sometimes the guys who hit on you, weren't necessarily the kind of guys you wanted to hit on you.

"No." I answered. I tried to get back in the zone, but this guy would just _not_ take a hint.

"Ah, come on. Don't be like that." He said. The wonders of alcohol as that it made you blind to your own flaws, and made you think you could take on anyone. This wasn't a such a great thing for the rest of us.

"I said, _no_." I said, with more force. He gripped my arms.

"I say yes." He said. I was about to hit him were the sun don't shine, when I guy who looked like he should be a professional wrestler stepped up. Wow! He was well of six feet tall, with plenty of muscle, and sexy curly brown hair.

Mr. Muscle gripped the guy bothering me by the front of his shirt, and lifted him literally off his feet, and gave him a dangerous look. "The lady said no. So get." He said. The guy whimpered, and scrambled away. Mr. Muscle turned to face me. "Are you okay?" he asked sweetly. I smiled. God he was cute.

"Yeah, thanks." I said. He grinned, and looked like a great big teddy bear. The kind you just wanted to cuddle.

"No problem. I'm Emmet by the way." He said, holding out a great big hand for me to shake. I smiled, and took it.

"I'm Rosalie." I said. I leaned up on my toes, and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for rescuing me." I said. And damned if he didn't give me the cutest little-boy-caught-stealing-a-cookie-from-the-cookie-jar grin.

"Anytime. Would you like to dance?" he asked. I nodded, and thought tonight was turning out to be pretty freaking great.

BPOV

When the song was over, Edward leaned forward and asked if I wanted to head to a table. I nodded, and lead him up to the table we'd reserved. Alice and Jasper were already there, laughing and whispering to each other. I grinned at Alice. "Hey, Ali." I said, using her favorite nick name. She grinned back.

"Hello Bella. I see you found Edward." She said. I sat down, and Edward slid in next to me. I tried not to notice how close he was to me.

"Yup. Have you seen Rose?" I asked. Alice grinned.

"Why yes I have. In fact, here she comes now." She said. We all turned, and saw Rose walking over to us with the biggest guy I'd ever seen.

"Hey everybody, this is-"

"Emmet." Edward and Jasper finished. Alice and I looked at them.

"You all know each other?" I asked. Edward grinned at Emmet.

"Yeah. Em, that's the girl I was telling you about." He said. Emmet let out a big booming laugh.

"Wow. What a coincidence." He said.

We all sat down at the table, and ordered once the waiter came by. He seemed in a much worse mood now that Rose had somebody next to her. After ordering food, we started talking. All six of us flowed easily in and out of conversation liked we'd known each other forever. Edward and Jasper had plenty of stories about the trouble Emmet had gotten them into as kids, and even some more recent then that. And Rose, Alice and I had plenty of stories of our own.

When our food got there, we all broke off into separate conversations. Edward seemed to have a never ending stream of questions for me. Normally I didn't like to dominate the conversation, but Edward's intense gaze and undivided attention prompted me to talk. The great thing I found about Edward was that he was honestly interested in my answers. Not like some guys, like Mike Newton from my work, who'd ask questions just to make you _think_ they were interested in the answers. But no, not Edward.

After we'd finished our food, we admitted we had to go. It turned out that the guys had school tomorrow too, just like we did. So we headed out to our cars. As soon as Rosalie discovered that Emmet drove a big supped up Jeep Wrangler, she and him instantly got into a deep and concentrated discussion about cars. Alice and I just laughed. Jasper walked with Alice over to Edward's car, since they'd ridden together, while Edward walked me over to Rose's car to wait for everybody else. It worked out kind of perfectly, because now we each had a tiny bit of privacy to say goodnight.

Edward smiled at me. "I had a really great time, tonight." He said, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear. I smiled even as my heart pounded in my chest.

"Me, too." I murmured.

"Do I get to see you again?" he asked. I smiled.

"I'd like that. Call me?" Edward grinned.

"Of course. Goodnight, Bella." He murmured. He cupped my cheek in his head, and then slowly bent his head. Everything seemed to freeze, blur, and then fade into the background, until all that was left was Edward and me. He paused, just a breath away from my mouth, and sighed. I got drunk of his scent, and waited endlessly for him to kiss me. When he finally did, I went deaf, dumb, and blind.

His mouth was so warm, and so soft. He kissed me softly, tenderly, with just the enough pressure to drive me mad. His fingertips stroked my cheek softly, and then he pulled away. His eyes were hot and intense as he gazed at me. "Goodnight." He said again.

"Goodnight." I murmured. Then he turned and walked back to his car. I shook myself, and saw Alice walking towards me with a dreamy look, and Rose with a goofy grin. I laughed.

"What?" Alice asked.

"I'll tell you later." I said, shaking my head. Then we all piled into the car and headed home.

**Ending Note**: Hey, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm probably not gonna post another one until tomorrow, but we'll see. Don't forget to review!! Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~


	4. Dibs Ch 4

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey peoples. This chapter is gonna be about the second group date, and some other stuff. So yeah. I hope you like it! But just to warn you, there's a spoiler alert! For those of you who haven't seen the Time Traveler's Wife, I kind of give away the ending. So beware!! And thanks to everybody who's read and faved. I appreciate it!

I walked quickly to my car after saying goodnight to Bella, and got in the driver's side. Jasper slid in a few moments later, and I sped out of the lot. It was a quiet ride. The nice thing about Jasper was, even though we were both aware of what had happened, he didn't feel the need to press for details or share details of his own like Emmet would. Sometimes sharing was fine, but times like this, it wasn't.

I was still having difficulty breathing, even several minutes after kissing Bella. She'd just looked so beautiful tonight. That skirt had made her creamy legs look miles long, and that color blue of her shirt had looked stunning with her skin. Her hair had tumbled in sexy curls, and looked so soft. I hadn't planned on kissing her, but I couldn't seem to help myself. And the minute my lips had touched hers, it had taken all of my self control to keep it soft and light.

I couldn't seem to get enough of her. I'd called her the minute I'd gotten a chance, and had been severely disappointed when she hadn't answered. Even when I was at work or at school, her face kept creeping up into my thoughts. It was frustrating, liking her so much in such a short amount of time. I sighed, and pulled into the parking lot for our apartments.

After saying goodnight to Em and Jazz, I thought longingly of bed, but seemed to restless for sleep. I suddenly remembered promising Bella that I'd call her, and grinned. No time like the present, right? I flipped open my cell and dialed her number.

BPOV

"So I take it you two also had the most amazing kiss of your lives?" I asked. Alice and Rose grinned. "I'll take that as a yes." I said. I sighed. "Are they amazing or what? Edward is such an excellent listener." I said. Alice smiled.

"Yeah, Jazz too. We're so in tune with each other, you know?"

"Yeah, it's the same with Emmet and me. Things just click." She said. We were all quiet for a while, wrapped up in our thoughts.

When we got home, I went straight into my room and changed into my comfy flannel pajamas. I was just about to crawl into bed when my cell phone began vibrating on the night stand. I looked at the caller ID, but didn't recognize the number. I answered it curiously. "Hello?"

"Hello, Bella." I heard a now familiar voice say. A smile immediately bloomed on my face, and my stomach did a small flip.

"Hey, Edward. What's up?" I asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you got home safe." He said. Oh, could he be any sweeter?

"Oh. Thanks. I assure you, we are safe and sound." I said. I heard him chuckle softly.

"That's good. So, what do you have planned for Friday?" he asked. I thought for a minute.

"Um… not much. I get off work at six, why?" I asked.

"I was wondering if you'd be up for a movie. Say, seven thirty?" he asked. I smiled.

"Sounds good. I'll meet you there. Goodnight, Edward." I said softly.

"Goodnight, Bella. Sweet dreams." He said.

I sighed, and flopped down on my bed. Tonight I could bet that they would be.

Friday rolled around slowly, and Rose and Alice said that Jasper and Emmet had invited them too. I smiled. Movie night with the guys sure beat movie night home alone. Once we were appropriately dressed and ready, we headed out. This time we took our own cars. When we got to the theater, we say the guys waiting for us out front. Edward grinned when he say me. "Jeez Bella, is that your truck? I could hear it coming from a mile away!" he teased. I smacked his shoulder.

"Hey! No knocking my truck, buddy!" I warned. Edward just laughed.

Rose, Alice, and I bought the tickets, and the guys groaned when they saw our selection. "The Time Traveler's Wife? That's such a chick flick!" Emmet whined.

"Hey, you guys got to pick where we went last time, and we didn't get a choice, so we're just returning the favor." Rose said. The guys made some more noise about it, but when we threatened to leave them there, they quickly shut up. We all got our snacks, and let me tell you, we just about bought out the counter. Me with my Dibs ice cream, Alice with her Junior Mints, Rose with her Skittles, Emmet with a hot dog and nachos, Jasper with his M&M's, and Edward with a jumbo tub of popcorn for us all to nibble at. Then we got three huge drinks that we'd share with the guys.

When we all got settled in our seats, I took a sip of the soda, and popped a Dibs into my mouth. Edward looked at me, and seemed to be holding back a laugh. "What?" I asked.

"That has got to be the most ridiculous movie theater food I've ever seen." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"I like ice cream, and they happen to offer it, so stuff it!" I said, sticking my tongue out at him. I didn't know why, but I felt really relaxed with Edward, comfortable and easy. He just laughed at me. I glared, but then smiled sweetly. "Oh Edward." I called oh-so-sweetly.

"Ye-?" just as he opened his mouth I popped a Dibs between his lips. I laughed at his surprised expression.

"Ha! I win." I said, and happily went back to enjoying my snack. I heard his husky chuckle, and shivered. He leaned in close to me, so he could whisper in my ear.

"It's not bad, I'll admit. But you taste better." He whispered. I swore I felt his mouth brush my ear. I blushed furiously, and frantically groped for my soda. I took a couple big gulps, trying to cool my suddenly overheated system. I heard Edward laugh again. "Can I have some of that?" He asked. I shook my head.

"Nope."

"Aw, come on. Please?" he asked, giving me a very persuasive pleading look. I smiled, and shook my head again.

"Not a chance. I'm suddenly very thirsty. Besides, for all I know, you've got cooties." I teased. Edward rolled his eyes, but I could see he was smiling.

"Shouldn't you have worried about that _before_ I kissed you?" he asked. Damn. He had to keep bringing that up. He _had_ to know it got me flustered. I shoved the drink at him, and grumbled, 'cheater'.

The movie started then, so I figured I was fairly safe from blushing more. The movie was pretty good, but really sad. During the very last scene, where the guy died, my easily triggered tear ducts decided to make themselves known. I swiped hastily at my cheeks, but it was too late. Edward noticed. He lifted up the armrest, and pulled me easily into his side. I hesitated for a slip second, and then settled there comfortably.

When the movie was over, I sat up and stretched. "Are you okay?" Edward asked, looking concerned. I smiled.

"Yeah. I tend to cry pretty easy at movies." I said, sheepishly. He smiled.

"I'm glad. That you're okay that is." He said. When we stood up, he laced his fingers with mine. "Though I won't deny comforting you felt pretty good." He whispered. I blushed, but Edward just smiled, and raised our joined hands to his lips.

"So, you ladies want to come back to our place?" Emmet asked. Rose shook her head, and grinned.

"Now what kind of girls do you think we are?" she asked. Emmet just laughed.

"Not like _that_. Just to keep us company, it gets really boring on Fridays." He said. Rose seemed to be pondering it. Emmet grinned. "Come on, I'll show you how to play Halo." He said. Rose laughed, and smiled slyly.

"Actually Emmet, I think I'll be showing you how to play Halo." She said, and sauntered off to her car. Emmet blinked, and then seemed to send thanks to the heavens for giving him Rosalie, before dashing off to his Jeep.

Edward turned and faced me. "Are you coming, too?" he asked. I shrugged.

"Sure, why not?" He smiled.

"Good. Just followed Emmet, okay?"

"Why not follow you?" I asked, confused. Edward grinned.

"You're truck wouldn't be able to keep up." He said.

Before I could even open my mouth to tell him off for making fun of my truck, those amazing lips was on mine. I was too stunned to respond for a moment, but only for a moment. Our mouths moved perfectly in sync, softly brushing, pressing, and sliding. Edward's hands moved around my waist to hold me gently to him, and my own weaved into that amazingly thick hair. When he pulled away gently, I felt a twinge of sadness. I never wanted him to stop kissing me. Edward stared at me for several moments, and then smiled. "See you in a bit." He said.

I walked over to my car, smiling like a love-struck teenager. I guess I was also thinking like one, because the first thought that popped into my head was "He _so_ rules". I laughed, and started up my truck. I then followed Emmet's big Jeep out of the parking lot. I followed him across town, to a pretty nice apartment complex.

I met up with Alice and Rose, and we linked arms as we followed the guys up to the apartment. When we stopped, Jasper and Emmet unlocked a door, and Edward unlocked a second one right across the hall. I looked at him curiously. He smiled. "Sometimes I need space from those two knuckleheads." He said. Emmet rolled his eyes, but Jasper just laughed. "Do mind if I steal you for a bit? There's something I'd like to show you." He said. I looked at Alice and Rose, and they just smiled and winked, which I took as a yes. So I followed him inside.

The interior was simple, with a kitchen on the right, and the couch separated the living room from the dining room. The furniture was simple black leather, the dining room table was small, but was dark wood, and very nice. There was a killer flat screen in the living room, a game console, and shelving full of movies. "It's nice." I said. It suited him; simple, masculine, but with just the barest hint of elegance. Edward smiled.

"It suits my needs. Come on, this way." He said, taking my hand and tugging me down the hall.

He opened a door, and led me into his bedroom. It was big, and spacious, and most definitely Edward's. The king sized bed just to the left was simple, dark wood, with a dark blue comforter and simple white sheets, there was a dresser on wall to the right, a night stand next to the bed, and a killer stereo system. But what I noticed most… was the music. There were shelves upon shelves of it. There was everything from Beethoven and Linkin Park, to Debussy and Coldplay. It was incredible. "Wow. You have so much music." I whispered. Edward grinned.

"Yeah. This was one of the reasons I wanted my own apartment. Sometimes Em and Jazz don't always agree with my selection in music." He said. I laughed.

"I know the feeling. That's why I mostly listen to my iPod when I'm at home." I said. I wandered over to the shelves, and pulled down an album by Lifehouse. "Do you mind?" I asked. He shook his head. I put it carefully into the stereo, and adjusted the volume. The slow, soothing music flowed fluidly into the room, as did the lead singer's slightly gravelly, slightly husky voice. "This is my favorite by them." I said. Edward slid up behind me, and pulled me against his chest.

"Me too." He murmured. He just held me there for several moments. Then he brushed his lips over the side of my neck, making me shiver delightfully. He then pulled away. "So, I want to know everything about you." He said, smiling. "You're whole life's story." I snorted.

"I afraid it's not very interesting." I said. Edward shook his head.

"I'm sure your wrong, but I'd like to hear it anyways." He said. I sighed, and walked over to his bed. I lay down on my stomach, and watched as Edward folded himself gracefully onto the floor. I felt a pang of jealousy; why couldn't I move like that?

"Would it help if I went first?" he asked, smiling. I smiled, and nodded. Edward laughed, and then started to speak.

I could've listened to him talk for hours. He had the most wonderful way with words, and his voice was smooth and velvety. He talked about how he had grown up in a small town in Washington with his parents, how he'd met Emmet and Jasper when he was just a kid, things he'd done in high school, about his family. When he talked about his family, his eyes got all soft and warm, like moss in the summer sun. And when he talked about Emmet and Jasper, he got the sexiest mischievous look on his face. I smiled to myself. How lucky could a girl get?

EPOV

To make Bella feel a bit more comfortable talking about herself, I went first. I told her pretty much everything, and she sat and listened attentively. When I spoke of my family, for some reason her face softened into the sweetest smile, and she laughed at all the stories I told her about from my childhood. When I was finished, I grinned at her.

"Your turn." I said. Bella sighed.

"Okay. Well…"

Bella told things in the most fascinating way. She went backwards. She started from when she had met Alice and Rosalie, her time in college before they'd met, high school in Arizona, living with her mom, then some stories of her childhood in the hot Arizona sun. When she talked about her mother, it sounded more like a parent talking about a child, then the other way around. She would smile indulgently, and shake her head slightly. She talked about all her mom's crazy hobbies that she would abandon halfway through, her miserably failed attempt to become a ballerina when she was six, and all the crazy things Alice, Rose and she had done to get out of bad dates.

When she was finished, I noticed that she hadn't talked about her biological father. When I asked her about it, she opened her mouth to speak, and then her phone rang. I laughed when I heard the ring tone. It was "Wicked Little Girls" by Esthero. Bella grinned as she answered it. "Hey Rose, what's up?" she asked. "Already?" she exclaimed, glancing at her watch. "Yeah sure, just give me a couple minutes." She said. I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Is it getting late?" I asked. Bella laughed.

"Yeah. Like midnight late." She said. I blinked in surprise. I hadn't realized we'd been talking that long.

"Alright, I'll walk you out." I said. Bella bounced up, and we walked to my door together.

I stopped just before she reached for the doorknob. "Wait." I called. Bella turned to face me, looking confused. I smiled. "I want to do this now, while we have some privacy." I said. Then I took her face in my face, and kissed her.

BPOV

Edward's eyes were hot as his mouth crashed down on mine. This wasn't like the other kisses. This was an honest to god, toe curling, bone melting, need a cold shower afterwards kiss. Edward's mouth was hot and urgent on mine, his hands diving into my hair. A moan bubbled up my throat as I pressed myself against him. Edward's tongue traced my bottom lip, and I parted my mouth eagerly. Then my knees nearly buckled.

He tasted better than anything I could think of; sweet, spicy, and hot. I put my hands on his chest, and felt a thrill run through me at the feel of the hard muscle there. Suddenly Edward was walking forward, pinning me roughly between him and the wall. His hands gripped mine, and pinned them next to my head. Passion took on a rougher, hotter edge, and turned my world upside down.

It lasted for a few seconds more, and then Edward pulled away roughly. His breath hissed in and out in rough pants, and I knew how he felt. I thought my heart might simply combust from beating so hard and so fast. After several moments he spoke. "I'm sorry, that wasn't very gentlemanly of me." He said. I laughed shakily.

"That's okay. It wasn't very lady like of me." I said. Edward grinned.

"That's okay." He said. Then his face grew serious, and the heat in his gaze was enough to burn me alive. I would have died happy. "I just had to get one good taste of you." He murmured. All thought process went ka-poof, and I was left blinking rapidly with my mouth hanging slightly open from shock. Edward chuckled, released my hands, and took a few steps back.

I walked with him the rest of the way to his door. He opened it, and I saw Alice and Rose waiting for me. Edward smiled, and gave me one last soft kiss. "Goodnight Bella." He murmured.

"Night." I muttered. He chuckled again.

"Night ladies." He said to Alice and Rose. They smiled, and waved as he shut the door.

They then seized me, and began walking towards the cars. "Okay, what happened?" Rose asked.

"What makes you think something happened?" I asked.

"Bella, have you seen the look on your face? You look like you've just had a couple shots of tequila." Alice said. I grinned; that sounded about right. I was drunk of the essence of Edward.

"Nothing happened… much." I teased mercilessly.

"Spill!" They begged in unison. I laughed, and sighed.

"Okay, okay. Nothing happened, except I just had the kiss of a lifetime." I said.

"Details!" They demanded together once again.

"I'm not gonna give you a play by play." I said exasperatedly.

"Okay, just tell me this. How would you rate it?" Alice asked. I grinned.

"Using a Richter scale." I said. Alice and Rose grinned.

**Ending Note:** Hey peoples! I hope you liked this chapter. And yeah, I know the Time Traveler's Wife isn't in theaters anymore, but I haven't seen any other chick flicks recently that might make Bella cry, and I didn't wanna do one I hadn't seen, so yeah. Anyways, I might have another chapter out tomorrow, but if not then definitely this weekend. Oh, and for those of you who don't know, a Richter scale is used to measure earthquakes. So yeah. Lol. Message and Review!!!! Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~~


	5. Feels Like Home Ch 5

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey guys, here's the next chapter. It's got some more of Edward and Bella spending some time together, and a very important realization for Edward.

**Feels Like Home**

Over the next two weeks, I spent as much time as I could with Edward. We never seemed to tire of each other's company, and we couldn't seem to get enough of each other. Each night Edward would call me to make sure I got home safely, and then he'd call me each morning to wake me up. His voice was an infinitely better wakeup call than my alarm clock. Alice and Rose teased me mercilessly, but after I told Rose that I'd heard the _conversation_ she had with Emmet that was of a _very_ personal nature, she shut up. I hadn't yet found a way to black mail Alice though. She was just so damn sneaky.

During one of our nightly conversations, I told Edward that I had to leave next week to spend Thanksgiving with my mom. Since both Alice and Rose's parents were gonna be out of the country, my mom had invited them to tag along. "Yeah, we're all going home, too." Edward said, referring to him and the guys. "How long?" he asked.

"Just a couple days." I said.

"Okay. How about you guys come over one last time before you head out? We're all working this week, but you could come over Saturday. You're heading out Monday, right?"

"Yeah. That sounds great. You guys be prepared with entertainment, and we'll take care of food." I said.

"Okay. Bye Bella."

"By Edward."

After we hung up, I filled in the girls about the plan. They were all for it. So Saturday we picked up three family sized pizza; a pepperoni, a cheese, and a sausage and mushroom. When we got to the guys house, Jasper opened the door. Alice bounced happily, and gave him a quick kiss. "Hey Jazzy!" she chirped. He smiled.

"Hello Alice. Bella, Rosalie," he said, nodding at each of us.

"Hey." We said, and followed him inside.

"I see you are fully prepared." He said, helping us with the soda and pizza. We laughed.

"Yeah. We figured you guys would try to hog it all, so we got extra." I teased. Jasper laughed.

Emmet leapt up when he saw us. "Sweet! Food!" he cheered, grabbing a piece of pizza. Rose smacked him before he could take a bite.

"No hello at all? A piece of pizza is more interesting than me?" she demanded. Emmet grinned at her, and kissed her full on the mouth. After showing her just how interesting Emmet found her, he pulled away.

"Hello, Rosy." He said. Rose smiled like one drunk.

"You're forgiven." She said. Edward walked into the kitchen, and took my face in his hands, and simply stared for a moment. That look alone was enough to stop my heart and my breath in my chest. Then he laid his mouth softly on mine.

When he pulled away, he smiled at me. "I missed you." He murmured. I smiled back.

"I missed you, too." I said. I took his hand, and headed into the living room. I had to admit, I was impressed. They had the living room all set up for a night of fun. There were pillows and blanks on the couch, loveseat, and floor, the Xbox was all set up and ready to go, and there was a small stack of movies to choose from. Edward grinned.

"You said be prepared. We don't do things halfway." He said. I laughed.

"I call the couch!" I called, flopping down.

"I call the loveseat!" Alice sang from the kitchen. Rose sighed.

"I guess that leaves us on the floor, big guy." She said, looking at Emmet. He grinned, and whispered something in her ear that made her eyes widen, and her cheeks flush. Ha! Now she knew how I felt.

Alice, Rose and I put in a movie, and then got settled while the guys got us food and drinks. Edward handed me a plate with pizza, and set two glasses of pop on the little table in between the couch and the loveseat. He sat down on the end, and then pulled me across his lap so that my head was resting on the armrest, and the rest of me was curled up in his lap. Jasper laid down on the loveseat, Alice settled in front of him and Emmet had Rose draped on his chest.

After watching several movies, some funny, some scary, we all hunkered down for a serious game-a-thon. We started with Halo, where the guys kicked our sorry butts. But, we did get in a couple good kills. Then we moved on to Burnout 3. Where I am proud to say we dominated. After putting Edward in the wall ten times, he gave up. He settled himself behind me, and started kissing my neck, nibbling at my ear, and just being generally distracting.

When I couldn't take it anymore, I glared at him. "Two can play this game, Edward. Are you sure you want to go there?" I asked. He just grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said. I raised a brow. I scooted back a little bit, since I was sitting pressed against him, with his knees on either side on me. I then rolled my hips, making my butt come in contact with a very sensitive part of his anatomy. I heard Edward's breath hitch, and his hand clamped down on my hip.

"You win! You win!" he hissed. I laughed, and stopped moving. Edward sighed in relief.

After a bit, Edward leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "I'm kidnapping you now." He said matter a factly. I looked at him curiously, but he just stood, and then scooped me up into his arms bridal style. That quick, thoughtless show of strength left me feeling breathless. "I'm kidnapping Bella, now." Edward told Alice and Rose.

"Okay. Have fun." They said. I rolled my eyes. What wonderfully helpful friends I have. But, I didn't necessarily _not_ want to be kidnapped, at least by Edward, so I supposed I couldn't complain. I opened the front door since Edward was a bit preoccupied not dropping me, and then he carried me into his bedroom.

Edward dropped me onto the bed, and I giggled as I bounced the soft mattress. I suddenly realized I was very sleepy. I curled up on the covers as Edward lay down next to me. I scooted closer to him, and used his chest as my pillow. He was very warm, and though he wasn't at all soft, he was still comfy to lie on.

Edward stroked my hair, and kissed my temple. I sighed. "Edward?" I asked sleepily.

"Hmm?"

"If we get to do this, I don't think I mind being kidnapped." I mumbled. I heard as well as felt the husky rumble of his chuckle.

"That's good to know." He said.

EPOV

Bella felt amazing draped over my chest. She had her small hand fisted in my shirt, and her thick brown hair fell slightly over her face. She felt like home. She looked so beautiful, and she was also very asleep. I chuckled, and gently dislodged her from my shirt. She frowned, and reached out in slumber. I gently lifted her torso, and pulled the covers down a bit. Then I lifted her legs, and managed to get her under the blankets. I then slipped into bed next to her.

Bella immediately shifted and laid her head on my chest again. I smiled, and wrapped my arms around her. I couldn't help but think about how right this felt. Just her and me. I was just about to fall asleep, when Bella spoke. "Alice, cut it out!" she groaned. I blinked, and then bit back laughter. Bella talked in her sleep. "No… I don't wanna wear a thong!" she whined. I nearly choked on my tongue. My mind wandered of its own volition, and I wondered if Alice had gotten her to wear it. I immediately steered out of those dangerous thoughts, and l listened to see if she'd say anything else.

She sighed softly. "Edward." She murmured. I felt my heart trip. "Stay with me… please stay." She murmured. I took an unsteady breath, and pulled her closed to me. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, and my mind was whirling a mile a minute. Just that one request had turned my world inside out. And wasn't this quite a time to discover that I loved Bella?

The next morning, I woke up with Bella on top of me. Literally. She had her legs tangled in mine, and her head was still on my chest. I couldn't help but chuckle. She had the whole other side of the bed, and she chose to lie on top of me. I shook my head, and gently turned her over so I could get up. As soon as I was out of bed, she frowned unhappily, and threw her arm out. I chuckled, and kissed her softly. She sighed, and smiled. She looked right there, sleeping in my bed. I shook my head again, and started into the kitchen.

I froze in the doorway when I remembered my revelation from last night. I was in love with her. I turned and looked back at her. She was sprawled on the bed on her stomach, taking it all up. I laughed. I was in love with Bella. She was smart, funny, caring, and selfless. Even in the short month that I'd known her, I could see that. I loved her; all of her. Her easy blush, her even easier smile. I smiled again, grabbed some clothes, and headed to the bathroom to get ready.

BPOV

The next morning I woke up, under the covers, and taking up the entirety of Edward's bed. Edward's bed. I shot up, and looked around blearily. Edward wasn't there. I shoved my hair back, which was a mess, and sighed while smiling. It felt nice here. It felt like… home. "Good morning, beautiful." I heard Edward's velvety voice call. I looked over to the doorway, and saw him leaning against it, looking like a Greek god. I smiled.

"Morning. I guess I fell asleep." I said. Then a horrifying thought occurred to me. "Oh god. I didn't… I mean, I didn't _say_ anything did I?" I asked. A peculiar expression flitted across Edward's face, but then was gone. He grinned.

"So you know about that, huh?" he asked. I winced.

"Yeah. What did I say?" I asked wearily. He laughed.

"Nothing… much." He said. I groaned. He chuckled. "You were talking to Alice. I believe a thong was mentioned." He said. I groaned again, and buried my face in my hands. He laughed. "Bella…" he called. I shook my head. "Bella, please come out." He pleaded softly. How could I resist when he asked so nicely? I peeked at him between my fingers. He smiled, and gently pulled my hands down. "You didn't let me finish." He said. He lifted one of my hands to his lips, and kissed it softly, and then the other. He looked up at me, that peculiar express back. "You asked me to stay with you." He murmured. Before I could respond, his mouth was covering mine in a heated urgency.

This kiss was different from the others. There was still that heat, and passion, and tenderness, but there was also a hint of urgency, and what seemed like… vulnerability. It was hard to explain, but I felt the need to soothe him. I pulled away gently, and brushed my fingertips over his face. "Edward, is something wrong?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No." he whispered. He took a deep breath as if to calm himself, and then held me close. I snuggled into his chest, and sighed.

"I gotta get going." I mumbled reluctantly. Edward sighed, and helped me to my feet. He walked me to the door, holding my hand. Then he kissed me softly.

"Call me when your plan lands." He murmured against my mouth.

"M'kay." I hummed happily. I walked out the door, and closed it softly behind me.

When I turned around, I saw Alice and Rose doing the same thing. Both of them looked a bit rumpled, but happy as could be. I grinned back at them. "Hey. You guys fall asleep, too?" I asked. Then nodded, and laughed. We linked our arms together, and headed home to pack.

EPOV

I had to be more careful. When I'd told Bella what she said in her sleep last night, I felt suddenly vulnerable, and a little bit afraid. What if she didn't love me back? I guess I'd let that show when I'd kissed her, which was why she asked if I was okay. I had to be more careful. I couldn't tell Bella that I loved her this early in our relationship. I couldn't risk scaring her off. With pretty much every relationship, whether you're a girl or a guy, you had to be careful when you said the 'L' word. Especially with girls like Bella, who had options. She was smart, and self sufficient, and could probably have any guy she wanted.

_But she chose me_. I reminded myself. She chose to be with me. And I'd never underestimate the miracle in that. I couldn't believe how lucky I'd gotten. I smiled to myself as I packed. I had to do things right with Bella. A sudden though came to me. I'd take her home for Christmas. Have her meet my family, see what she thought of them. I'd have to ask my mom. I'd call her. I wanted to make sure she didn't need me to fly out early anyways. Em and Jazz were going home this Thanksgiving.

I grabbed my cell phone, and dialed the number. "Hello?" the moment I heard my mother's voice on the line, I smiled. She could always make me feel calm, and relaxed.

"Hey mom."

"Edward! This is a nice surprise. I didn't expect to hear from you until you came down." She said. I laughed.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you didn't need me to fly down early." I said.

"No. Why would I?" she asked.

"Don't you remember last year? When the oven broke last minute, and dad tried to fix it?" I asked. My mom laughed.

"Oh yes! God that was terrible. But you saved the day."

"I do what I can. Listen… there's something I need to ask you."

"Okay, shoot."

"I met someone. She's very special to me, and I'd like to invite her over for Christmas." I said. My mother gasped.

"Already? Edward, when did you meet this girl?" she asked.

"A few weeks ago."

"And you're already bringing her home?"

I understood my mother's confusion. I'd only brought a girl home once, and that had been a disaster. But Bella was different.

"Yes. Like I said before, she's special." I said.

"Okay. Of course she can come over. Will Jasper and Emmet be coming, too?" she asked. Jasper and Emmet were practically her adopted sons. They'd always been in the house, and they'd loved my mom like their own. Neither of them were really close to their parents. Jasper's parents tended to smother him, and Emmet's just didn't seem to care. So Jazz and Em would go to their parent's for Christmas Eve, and then come over to my house for Christmas. It had been our tradition for years.

"Of course. Umm… they might be bringing someone, too." I said uncertainly. I didn't want to say they were for certain in case they weren't, but I wanted my mom to be prepared for more guests. I could hear the burning desire to drill for information in my mother's pause, but she refrained. "Okay. We'll talk more when you get here tomorrow. Love you."

"I love you, too. Bye." After I hung up, I figured I'd better go talk to Jazz and Em to see what their plans were.

I let myself in, and found Emmet on the floor tangled in blankets, and Jasper sprawled on the couch. Apparently the girls had decided to let them sleep in. I rapped my knuckles against the wall. "Wakey, wakey." I called, laughing. Emmet groaned.

"Shut it, Eddie." He whined. "I'm trying to sleep here." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"It seems as though you've let a particularly attractive blonde slip right out of your gasp Emmet. That's not like you." I said. Emmet sprang up, and looked around.

"Aw, man!" he threw himself back down on the floor.

"You should be grateful. They let us sleep in." Jasper said sleepily from the couch. He sat up and stretched. "What's up?" he asked.

"Ah, I just talked to my mom." I said.

"And?" Emmet asked. I didn't say anything. Emmet must have read my expression. "Aw man! You ratted us out?!" he demanded. I rolled my eyes.

"I just asked if I could bring Bella home. And I warned her you might be bringing dates too. Besides, you've got a month to think about it." I said.

"Edward!" Emmet groaned. "Isn't it a little early to be bringing her home to meet the family?" he asked. I grew serious.

"No. I'm in love with her." I said. They both stared at me, and then seemed wrapped up in their own thoughts. Emmet stood, and dragged a hand through his hair.

"I think I'm in love with Rose." He said. Then he gripped me by the front of my shirt, and nearly lifted me off my feet. "And if you tell her, so help me Edward –" he stared, glaring at me. I threw up my hands in surrender.

"Hey, calm down! My lips are sealed." I said. Emmet released me, and then glared at Jasper, who rolled his eyes.

"I won't tell." He said. Then he looked down. "As long as you don't tell Alice I love her. At least before I do." He said quietly. And there it was, out in the open. We were all hopelessly in love with three amazing women.

You're probably wondering why we're telling each other this, before we're telling actually objects of our affections. Well, we'd always told each other everything. Jasper and Emmet had told me when they'd had their first girl in bed, I'd told them when I'd fallen in love the first time, and they had vehemently warned me away from that disaster. Not that I'd listened until it was too late. Anyways, this time was no different. Whenever something of significance happened to us, we told each other. It was how we figured things out, worked out what we wanted, and how we were going to get it.

"I guess it's a good idea, to take the girls home." Jasper said.

"I figured you wouldn't want to take them to your parents' just yet." I said. Emmet wrinkled his nose like a little kid, and Jasper winced.

"You got that right." Emmet said. "We'll wait until later… like way later for that mess." He said. Then he sighed. "Why couldn't we have had the same parents? It would have made things so much easier." He said. Jasper and I nodded. I sighed. It was going to be one crazy Christmas.

**Ending Note**: Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter. The next chapter should be up this weekend. Thanks again to everybody who's faved and read. Don't forget to review!!! Peace!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	6. Coming Home Ch 6

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey peoples! This chapter is about everybody's trip home, and both Edward and Bella getting some interesting questions from their parents. Oh, just to warn you, I know in Chapter 4 I briefly mentioned Phil, but I decided to take it out. So yeah. Bella's mom is single. An many many thanks to pen2paper93 who gave me my first review on this story! Thanks so much!!

**Coming Home**

On Monday, Alice, Rose, and I were packed and ready to go. I'd even gotten them to downsize to two suitcases each. It was a record for them. We were getting there early so we could hang out for a couple of days. Our flight left the airport at four, so we got there at two. After going through hell in security, getting my butt slapped by some random guy in the terminal, and fighting a near fatal battle getting our luggage into the overhead storage, we were finally settled in our seats. Through an amazing stroke of luck, we got three seats all next to each other. I took the window seat, Alice sat in the middle since she was smallest, and Rose sat in the aisle seat.

I put in my iPod headphones, and settled into my seat. I didn't usually sleep on planes, but it was nice to just close my eyes, and listen to relaxing music. Alice was watching the movie that the airline played, and Rose was flipping through a magazine. I looked out the window, and watched the world fall away. We flew up, above the clouds, and I sighed. It was beautiful. I thought of Edward, and how nice it had felt to wake up with him. Then I thought of my mom, and what on earth I would tell her. I couldn't decide whether or not I wanted to tell her anything at all.

My mother was very protective of me; when it came to guys at least. She was very adamant about not getting involved in a serious relationship until I was at least twenty five. She always said that she didn't want me to make the same mistakes she did. She said that the only good thing that had come out of her marriage with Charlie was me. It made me kind of sad. She told me stories of how right after I was born, she realized her mistake, and had taken me and driven from Forks to Phoenix. I had always felt bad for my dad. I used to visit him every summer, and it was easy to tell he was still in love with my mother. He had kept the house the same, and their wedding picture was on his nightstand. My mom never remarried either, but I was never sure as to why.

I sighed, and closed my eyes. What would I tell her? I decided not to say anything. She'd only ask a bunch of questions; questions I wasn't prepared to answer. Like where was the relationship going? How much did I care for him? I couldn't tell my mother the truthful answer to those questions. I knew where I _wanted_ the relationship to go; I wanted it to go on for as long as Edward wanted me. I also knew that even though it'd been such a short time, I already cared very deeply for Edward. No way could I tell my mother that. She'd freak.

When we finally landed in Phoenix, it was six thirty. When we got off the flight and to the terminal, my mom greeted us enthusiastically. "Oh, there's my girls!" she cried, giving us all a hard hug. I smiled. My mom had always treated Alice and Rose like family. Even though she'd only met them a couple time in person, she talked to them often when she called to check in on me. Alice and Rose thought she was riot. Especially with all the crazy stories I told them about her.

"Hey, mom." I said.

"Oh Bella! How have you been?" she asked.

"I've been good." I said. _Great actually_; _what with me dating the most amazing man I've ever met. What have you been up too_? I snickered quietly.

"That's good. And what about you girls; anything new and exciting?" My mom asked.

"Actually –" Rose started. I jammed my elbow in her ribs, and stepped on Alice's foot, since she looked ready to spill the beans. I shook my head slightly. "Nope. Nothing new." Rose said, rubbing her ribs and glaring at me.

My mom gave us a suspicious look, but shrugged. "Alight. Come on then, let's go get your bags." She said. When we got to the baggage claim, while my mom was busy looking for our bags, Rose poked me.

"What was that about?" she hissed.

"Trust me, you do _not_ want to tell her about the guys." I said.

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Because, she'll make the Spanish Inquisition look like a casual conversation over tea!" I hissed. "Then she will say that they aren't good enough for us, and give us a never ending lecture about how 'women have options' these days and how we shouldn't 'rush things'." I said. Alice rolled her eyes.

"It can't be that bad." She said. I just looked at her.

"Has she done it before?" Rose asked.

"Yeah. And it wasn't pretty." I said, shuddering at the memory of my later teenage years, when ever I'd mentioned, just _mentioned_, a guy and she'd gone on a lecture marathon.

"Okay, okay. We won't say anything. But I think she's onto us." Alice said, nodding towards my mother, whose head was tilted our way as if hoping to catch a snippet of our conversation.

"Okay. Just keep your cool, and we'll be fine." I said. God, I sounded like a murder suspect who was about to be interview by the cops.

On the drive home, my mom chatted happily about what she'd been up to while I was away, and asked us how school and work was going. We managed to keep from slipping up and saying anything about the guys. When we got home, I put my bags in my old room, and Alice and Rose were going to share the guest room. Tomorrow we'd be having Thanksgiving dinner, and as usual, my mom had forgotten to go shopping. So we headed out again, and loaded a cart full of food, and walked out with enough food to feed a third world country.

As we were putting things away, I hummed to myself, thinking of Edward. My mom got that look on her face. The look that told me that she was onto a lie I was telling. Not that I told them often, but when I did, she could almost always tell. "So, Bella." She said. I winced; I saw that coming.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure there isn't something you're not telling me?" she asked casually.

"No. Why would you say that?" I asked.

"Well, you just seem… different. Happier I guess." She said. I did my best to hold in an ecstatic smile.

"I am happy mom. I'm doing really well in Oregon." I said. My mom shrugged.

"If you say so." She said.

After everything was put away, it was already late, so I headed upstairs. After brushing my teeth and hair, and changing into pajamas, I went to bed. As soon as I turned the light off, I remembered I was supposed to call Edward. "Crap!" I kept the light off so my mom wouldn't suspect anything, and quickly dialed Edward's number.

"Hello beautiful." As soon as I heard his voice, I relaxed. All tension from my mom and the flight slipped away, and I sighed.

"Hi. Sorry I called so late." I said. He chuckled.

"That's okay. How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good. Better now." I said, smiling.

"Mmm, me too. I miss you already." He said. I sighed.

"I miss you too. Are you still on the road?"

"Nah, I just got settled at home." He said.

"That's good. I better go. I'll call you soon." I said.

"Alright. Sweet dreams."

"You too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, my love." And then he hung up.

My heart raced. My love. He'd called me my love. I laughed recklessly. Good I'd never felt so alive! I laid on my bed in my happy little bubble for several minutes. Then I remembered my bed was empty. I sighed, missing him even more than usual. Then there was a knock on my door. "Come in." I called. Alice walked in, looking rather pouty. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"I just talked to Jazz. Now I'm lonely." She said. I pulled back the covers, an patted the spot next to me. Alice dove in, and snuggled into the blankets. A few minutes later Rose came in, and joined us in my bed.

"How sad is this?" Rose sighed. "One night away from the guys and here we are, huddling together because none of us can stand to sleep alone."

"We slept alone when we knew the guys before." I said.

"Yeah, but then last night we didn't, and know they've spoiled us. Not to mention before they were never more than a phone call away." Alice said, pouting. I laughed sleepily.

"Yeah. Well, we'll see them again soon. Don't worry." I said, yawning. Rose and Alice mumbled their agreement, and soon we were all fast asleep.

The next morning, I woke up lying across the foot of my bed, Alice curled up across the pillows, and Rose using my stomach as a pillow. I laughed, and stood up carefully. Rose just grumbled, and rolled over. I grabbed my clothes, and went into the bathroom to get ready. When I came back out, Alice and Rosalie were both awake, and rubbing the sleep from their eyes. "Morning sleepy heads." I greeted. They smiled.

"Hi. We didn't shove you off the bed or something did we?" Alice asked. I laughed, and patted her spiky hair.

"Nope. I managed to stay firmly on the mattress." I said. Rose stretched and yawned.

"That's good. Now I don't know about you ladies, but I'm ready for some coffee." She said. Alice and I agreed enthusiastically, so Rose and Alice got dressed and then followed me downstairs. The scent of freshly brewed coffee wafted from the kitchen, and I smiled.

"God bless you mom." I said, grabbing a mug from the cupboards. She laughed.

"You're welcome. Good morning girls." She said.

"Morning." Alice and Rose mumbled in unison.

"Don't worry; they're much better after they've had coffee." I said. My mom just smiled.

For the next few days were a blast. We hung out, watched movies, went on a shopping spree, and just had fun. And every night I called Edward, and talked to him for a few minutes before I went to sleep. And Alice and Rose still slept in my room, because we felt far too lonely by ourselves.

Thursday afternoon was crazy. We were all in the kitchen, busily cooking, mixing, and throwing ingredients to each other. But we were all laughing, and smiling, and having fun. I missed this; being with my mom, and just having fun. Once all the food was cooked, and the table was set, we sat down and sighed. My mom raised her glass of red wine. "To us." She said. We all followed suit (we only had wine on special occasions since alcohol didn't particularly appeal to us) and clinked our glasses together.

"To us." We repeated. Then we dug into the food. I smiled, and sighed.

"This is excellent." I said.

"We did pretty damn good if I do say so myself." Alice chirped. We made small talk, and laughed, and reminisced for a while, and then we all grew quiet. It was a comfortable silence though. Familiar, and easy. Until my mom opened her big fat mouth.

"If you won't tell me who he is, at least tell me whether or not you're being safe." She said. I had just taken a sip of my wine, and nearly sprayed it all over the nice table cloth.

"MOM!"

"What? It's a fair enough question. I know you're a young woman now, and you run your own life." She said. I eyed her suspiciously.

"No lectures about waiting until I'm twenty five to get into a serious relationship?" I asked. She grinned.

"So there is a relationship!" she said triumphantly. I froze. Shit.

"No. I never said that." I said. She laughed.

"Whatever you say, honey." She said. I sulked, and grumbled to myself. Damned fiend woman. I sighed, and wondered what Edward was doing.

EPOV

Thanksgiving dinner was even better than last year's. And that was saying something. My mother was an amazing cook. As was my Aunt Esme, who had come with my Uncle Carlisle for a surprise visit. We'd spent the last few days just catching up, and having family time. It felt wonderful, though I wished that Bella was here with me.

As if she could hear my thoughts, my aunt smiled at me. "So Edward, tell me about this mystery girl." Esme asked. I glared at my mom, who just smiled.

"She's not a mystery woman, Aunt Esme." I said.

"Liz tells me you're bringing her home for Christmas." She said. I flushed.

"Yes, that's correct." I mumbled.

"We'll have to drop by again and meet her. It's been so long since you've seen someone." Esme scolded me lightly. Carlisle grinned.

"So is she pretty?" he asked. Not for a brand new Austin Martin Vanquish, and a good kick in the ass, I couldn't have contained the grin that was brought on by that question.

"Yeah." I said. My father laughed, and clapped me on the shoulder.

"We can't wait to meet her." He said. I smiled.

I couldn't wait for them to meet her either. I was sure that Bella would have my father wrapped around her little finger in no time flat. You know what they say, like father like son. I knew my entire family would love her. How could they not? I sighed, and thought longingly of my Bella. I missed her already, and we'd only been apart for a few days. Those nightly phone calls just weren't enough. And while hearing her voice while being away was like drinking ice water on a hot day, I still missed her terribly. And even though I felt guilty about it, I couldn't wait to get back tomorrow and see her.

BPOV

After saying my last goodbyes to my mom, Alice, Rose and I got on a plane back to Portland. When I'd talked to Edward last night, he'd said that he and the guys would pick us up at the airport, so we were all itching to land. Alice bounced impatiently in her seat, Rose tapped her fingers, and I bit my lip. I couldn't wait to see him again. I wanted to smack myself, because I knew how ridiculous it was to miss him this much when I'd only been away for a week, but I couldn't help it. Even Alice, who hated looking desperate was a bit cranky in her impatience to get back to Jasper.

The flight to PDX seemed to last forever. And then we had to muscle our way through the crowd to the terminal. When we finally made it, we all craned out neck to find the guys. Rose, who was the tallest of us, kept look out. "There! I see them!" she cried. Alice and I spun around and looked were she was pointing. There were our sexy men, looking better than ever. Seeing Edward's face, and those amazing green eyes, my heart melted. God I'd missed him.

"Edward!" I shouted. His gaze snapped to mine, and my heart stopped in my chest. He smiled at me. I dropped my bag and ran forward to meet him. He laughed and caught me in his arms, then spun me around.

"God I've missed you!" He whispered. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and I inhaled the amazing scent of his skin. He sighed, and pulled away slightly. "Did you have a good time?" he asked. I nodded, and smiled. I moved his hair out of his eyes, and kissed him. He returned it with tenderness, and gentle passion. I sighed against his lips, and smiled.

"I really missed you." I said.

"Me too. Come on, let's get out of here." He said. He walked over and picked up my heavy suitcase as if it were nothing. We waited patiently off to the side for Alice and Rose to finish their hellos with the guys with a bit of privacy.

APOV

When I saw Jasper, I rushed forward, and hugged him. He held me for a long moment, then pulled back and simply stared. "I missed you." He murmured. I touched his face lightly.

"I missed you too. How was your week?" I asked. He winced a bit, and sighed.

"Crowded. I have a big family." He said. I smiled, and kissed him softly.

"I'm sorry. At least you're here now." I said. He smiled.

"Yes. And I can't tell you how glad I am for it."

RPOV

The instant I saw Emmet, I rushed up and kissed him firm on the mouth. As usual, his lips made my bones melt, and my knees weak. Emmet grinned as I pulled away. "Miss me, babe?" he asked. I smirked.

"A little. How about you?" I asked. Emmet chuckled, and pulled me more firmly against him.

"You bet. How was your time in Arizona?" he asked.

"Pretty good. We did lots of girl stuff. And what about you?" Emmet frowned unhappily. "Aw, what's wrong, baby?" I asked. He sighed, and dragged a hand through his hair.

"I don't get along with my family very well." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I said, and kissed him softly. He smiled.

"Come on, let's get out of here." He said. He took my hand, and we walked out of the airport, with Alice and Jasper, Bella and Edward flanking us.

**Ending Note**: Hey, I hope you liked this chapter. I'm gonna have one more chapter, and then the chapter with Christmas. Guess what Bella discovers when she goes to Edward's family home? Heehee. Anyways, the next chapter should be up in a couple days. Thanks again to everybody whose faved, alerted, read, and reviewed. You guys rock! But more messages and reviews are always welcome. Lol. Peace!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	7. Special Ch 7

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone. I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter out. I have a lot to do this weekend, including birthday plans (yeah!) and going to see New Moon. So I'm writing as much as I can, but I don't know exactly when I'll be posting it. So yeah.

**Special **

Immediately after the girls and I got back from Arizona, Edward started acting strangely. He got kind of secretive, wouldn't tell me what he was doing, or was vague, and seemed very distracted. I was getting really worried. What if he was already sick of me? What if there was someone else? What was going on?! I panicked for all of a week, and then Alice and Rose told me that Jasper and Emmet were acting just the same. After that I relaxed a bit. I mean, what are the odds that they all planned to break up with us at the same exact time? But I was still worried.

Two weeks after I got back, Edward showed up randomly at our apartment, which he never did. He always called ahead. And it was already six o'clock; what could he want this late? "Hey, what's up?" I asked. He smiled, seeming really excited about something. His good mood was infectious, especially since he'd been acting so strangely.

"Come on." Was all he said. He pulled me into my room. "Get changed. Put on something pretty." He said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"I can't tell you. Come on, don't you trust me?" he asked in a teasing tone. I immediately felt guilty for doubting him. I smiled, and pulled his mouth gently onto mine. After kissing him thoroughly, I pulled away. Edward looked a tad surprised. Good.

"Yes, I trust you." I said. I went into my closet, grabbed a couple things, and then headed into the bathroom to change.

EPOV

I knew that Bella had been worried about me lately, what with me keeping so many things from her. But what I had planned was a surprise; just for her. I knew that Bella didn't like being put in the spotlight, but this wasn't about that. This was about making her feel special – and hopefully softening her up for my request.

I waited patiently for Bella to get dressed, but I was fully unprepared for her when she came out. She had her hair down, as usual, but everything else was… unreal. She was wearing a blue dress, made of some sort of ridiculously soft, thin material that clung lovingly to her curves. The hem swirled around her calves, and the sleeves were just off the shoulders.

Bella smiled at my surprised expression. "Alice bought it for me last year, for my birthday. She said to save it for a special occasion." She said, flushing. "Is it okay?" she asked nervously, fidgeting with the material. I shook my head sharply to clear it, and then smiled.

"It's perfect." I said. I held my hand out for her, and she took it. I looked down, and saw her small feet shod in black flats, and held in a snicker. I had seen more than one close call with Bella's inclination to klutziness.

Bella waved goodbye to Alice and Rosalie, and then we headed outside to my car. I held the door open for her, and Bella smiled. I grinned to myself as I walked around the car. God I hoped she would like this.

BPOV

On the drive to wherever it was, soft music played on Edward's radio. I didn't recognize the artist, but it was beautiful; achingly sweet, and almost fluid. I closed my eyes, and relaxed into my seat, forgetting momentarily to be nervous about whatever surprise Edward had planned for me. The key word there being _momentarily_. As soon as we stopped moving, my eyes flew open, and my heart went into overdrive. What can I say? I was _horrible_ at surprises.

I needn't have worried. Apparently Edward knew me better than I gave him credit for. It was a small, cozy looking little Italian place. I smiled when Edward opened the door for me. "My surprise?" I asked. Edward smiled, and took my hand in his.

"Part of it." He said.

"What's the other part?" I asked. Edward grinned.

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?" I rolled my eyes, but it was ruined by my smile. A dinner alone, with Edward – what could I ask for more.

When we got inside, the hostess greeted us, and I tried not to notice when she sent a wistful look at Edward. I didn't succeed very well. When we turned the corner into the main dining area, I froze. It was empty, and all the tables were pushed back, spare for one table, just the right size for two. It was set with silverware, wine glasses, two slim candles, and a single red rose. I stood there, still unable to speak, while Edward walked over to the table and picked up the rose. He turned back to me, the sweetest smile on his face, and bowed, presenting the rose to me. "Madame." He said, grinning. I smiled, and blinked back tears.

"Good sir." I replied playfully, taking the rose. He smiled, and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down, and then Edward sat down across from me. He ordered us a fine French wine, and then the hostess left us with menus.

I was still having trouble absorbing everything, when Edward gently grabbed my hand. "Do you like it?" he asked softly, looking anxious. I smiled, and nodded. "It's not too much?" he asked. I laughed.

"Of course it's too much." I said. "But I love it. It's sweet, and romantic, and I forbid you to tell me how much it costs." I said. Edward laughed.

"Agreed." He said. He ordered classic spaghetti, and I ordered the mushroom ravioli. The waitress that took our order flirted, but I couldn't have cared less. Edward obviously cared for me; otherwise he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble.

The food was excellent, as was the wine, though I only sipped at that. I had a very low tolerance for alcohol. Edward and I talked, and laughed, and he held my hand through the entire meal. I couldn't believe my luck. After getting a really yummy something chocolate for dessert, Edward got quiet. He seemed thoughtful, and a bit antsy. I finally grinned at him. "Edward, whatever you've been holding in, spit it out now before it burns a hole in your tongue." I said. He grinned back, making his dimples show.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked. I nodded. He sighed. "Well, I have something… important to ask you." He said. My heart stuttered.

"Okay." I said slowly.

"Well, I've been thinking lately… since Thanksgiving really that, maybe… if it's not too much to ask that is…" he paused again, seeming very uncertain.

"Spit it out! The suspense is killing me!" I said finally. Edward smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. Well, would you like to come home with me for Christmas?" he asked, talking really fast. I blinked.

"Home? Like, to meet your family home?" I asked. Edward nodded. I bit my lip. That was a big step. God, I'd only known him for a few months! I barely knew him, and he was asking me to come home and meet his family. But god, I cared for him. I wanted to be with him all the time, and the second he was gone, I was counting the minutes until he was back.

"Okay."

There were so many ways that it could go wrong. What if they didn't like me? What if… wait a minute, did I just say okay? I blinked in surprise as my brain struggled to catch up with my mouth. Well, now…

"Really?" I heard Edward ask. "Are you sure? Because if you're not ready…" he said anxiously. I smiled, and leaned forward to kiss him softly.

"Don't worry. Apparently I'm more ready than I thought. I want to meet your family." I said. Edward smiled, and kissed my hand.

"I want you to meet them too. I warned my mother that you might be coming." He said, looking sheepish. I laughed.

"I guess you were a bit eager?" I asked. He grinned.

"Maybe just a bit." He said. "Emmet and Jasper will be coming too. And right at this very moment I imagine they're doing the same thing I am." He said. I blinked.

"They're asking Alice and Rose to come?" I asked in surprise. Edward nodded.

"That, and if they say yes, I imagine they're wondering, like I am, how in the world they got so lucky as to have someone so amazing give them so much as a second glance." Edward's emerald gaze was intense, to say the least. I found that the same intensity settled over me, and I touched his face gently.

"How could I not? You're kind, gentle, fun, smart, and make me feel so incredibly happy." I murmured. Edward laid his hand over the one I had on his cheek, his eyes still on mine. For several moments we didn't say anything, just sat there in the quiet and candle light.

"Are you ready to leave?" he asked quietly after a while. I nodded. Edward called for the check, and then we left.

The entire ride home, Edward held my hand, and soft classical music filled the inside of his car. I was so relaxed, and so happy I felt I might just burst from it. It was cozy in the car, the night flew by me, the music was so soothing, and Edward held my hand and made me feel safe. Before I realized it, I fast asleep.

EPOV

I couldn't believe it! She'd said yes! I was about ready to spontaneously combust from the happiness of it. It had taken everything I had to keep the 'L' word from simply leaping out of my mouth. I knew it wasn't the right time yet; timing would be everything with Bella. She always seemed so unsure of herself, which was infinitely confusing. Bella was the most amazing person I'd ever met; how could she possibly have to be self-conscious about? But when the time was right, I'd tell her just how much I loved her.

I was so distracted with thinking about it, that it took me several minutes to realize that Bella had fallen asleep. I grinned, remembering what she'd said the last time she'd fallen asleep. I waited patiently waited for her to start speaking. The first few minutes were gibberish, and I had to try really hard to laugh quietly as to not wake her. She said something about Rosalie trying to make her dance on a bar, and Alice forcing her to wear 'deathtraps' which I meant high heels. And then she said the same thing she'd said the last time. She asked me to stay with her. I smiled, and kissed the back of her smooth hand. I was the luckiest man alive.

BPOV

I was having such a strange dream. I was with Edward, and we were together in a… yard? We were sitting together, talking about something, but my mind felt so heavy, I couldn't make out the words. But whatever it was, it was upsetting us both, because suddenly we were holding onto each other desperately. Then it was weird, because he was shaking me. Not hard, but enough to get my attention. Then I heard his voice. "Bella. Bella wake up."

Oh, I get it. I slowly dragged myself out of my dream, and was rewarded with Edward's mouth sliding gently over mine. _Well hot damn_! I wrapped my arms around his neck, and slide my fingers into his thick bronze hair. I traced my tongue over his bottom lip, and his mouth parted. I moaned softly. God he tasted sweet.

When he finally pulled away, I gasped. He was leaning through my open door, his hands gripping the seat on either side of my head, and his eyes were scorching. "That's one hell of a way to wake a girl up." I gasped. He grinned mischievously, and tugged on a strand of my hair.

"I couldn't resist." He said. I laughed with him, and took his offered hand. He pulled me out of the car, and I snuggled into his side. It was chilly out, and he was warm. He walked me to my front door, and smiled. "I had a wonderful time tonight." He said.

"Me too. The best." I said, and meant it. His eyes seemed to melt, and his entire face went soft and warm. I loved that about him. How he never seemed to hide his emotions. He just let them shine through. He took my face in his hands, and kissed me softly.

"Goodnight, my love." He said. My heart stuttered, and struggled to say something, my mind still foggy from the kiss.

"Goodnight." I breathed. I walked then turned and walked unsteadily inside.

The minute I was in the door, Alice and Rose pounced on me. I could hardly make out their words through the screaming female voices and giggles, as well as the flurry of arms. "Wait, wait, wait!" I laughed. "One at a time." I said.

"We want to know every detail! Don't get mad, but we sort of watched you through the peep hole." Rose said sheepishly.

"Yeah, and we totally saw that kiss! Tell us everything!" Alice demanded. I laughed.

"Okay. But only if you guys return the favor." I teased. They both rolled their eyes.

"Duh!" they said in unison. I laughed.

"Okay, so what do you want to know first?" I asked.

"Where did you two go?" Alice asked. That was really the only question that mattered. I sighed, and smiled.

"We went to this little Italian place, a couple miles from campus. It's family owned I think. He rented the place out, so it was just the two of us. There was wine, and candle light, and wonderful food. Even the flirtatious staff seemed part of the atmosphere." I said, wrinkling my nose while grinning. Alice and Rose laughed, then sighed.

"Wow. That's so amazing." Alice said, smiling. I nodded.

"No arguments here. And then… well, I imagine you know what he asked me." I said, blushing. Alice and Rose nodded, each, I assume, thinking of their own evenings. "I said yes." I said. Alice grinned.

"So we gathered from that kiss outside." They said. I glared at them, and threw one of the couch pillows at them. They just laughed.

"So what about you, Alice? Where did Jazz take you?" I asked. Alice got a dreamy look on her face.

"He took me back to his place, and cooked me dinner. He is an excellent cook, just so you know." She said, grinning. He ate dinner, and then we curled up on the couch, and watched a movie. Then he asked me. I said yes, too." She said. We both turned to Rosalie at the same time, and she smiled.

"Em took me to a fancy French restaurant. We sat on the balcony, and had the most wonderful food. Then we went for a walk in the town square, with all the Christmas lights twinkling. It was amazing. Then I got cold, and Em gave me his coat. That's when he asked me. I said hell yes." She said, grinning. We all laughed. I sighed.

"Look at the lot of us. The three luckiest girls in the world." I said, leaning back into the couch. The both sighed.

"Yeah. I can' believe we're really going to meet their family." Alice said.

"Well, not their biological family. But their real family." Rose said.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Rose sat up.

"Well, Emmet explained that the three of them grew up together."

"And that they were always over at the Masen's." Alice added.

"Neither Em or Jasper gets along really well with their families, so they started going home with Edward for the holiday. His mom always welcomed them." Rose said. I remembered Edward mentioning they were coming, but he didn't mention why. I had a feeling I'd like Edward's mom. Any woman, who welcomed her son's friends during the holidays as her own, had to be one incredible woman.

**Ending Note: **Hey everybody! I'm so sorry I haven't uploaded in such a long time. My computer has been majorly acting up. My family accuses it of being a Decepticon. Lol. Maybe I should name it Wheelie. Heehee. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. The next one should be up tomorrow (I hope), and it will be the Christmas scene. And there will be many important events. I'll leave what those might be up to your imagination. Lol, I'm so evil! Anyways, thanks for reading, and don't forget to review! You know I love them!!! Peace!!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	8. Another First Ch 8

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! First off, I just want to say THANKS!!! to everyone whose read my story, faved, alerted, and reviewed. You guys ROCK!! Anyways, this chapter is where everybody goes home for Christmas. It will be spread out through a several chapters of course, but I think that this one will be one of the most important ones. So I hope you like it! Peace!

**Another First**

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I was increasingly nervous, but excited as well. Edward told me he and the guys had made all the arrangements, and there was no need for me to worry. But worrying was sort of what I did best. Thoughts kept swirling and circling around in my head. Would they like me? Would they hate me? Would they think I was good enough for their son? I never got anywhere with my questions; I just got an upset stomach and a headache.

Normally I would have turned to Alice and Rosalie for advice, but they were just as nervous as I was. This was a new thing for all of us – meeting the family. I think it was even more important for Rose and Alice, since the Masens weren't Emmet and Jasper's real family, but they meant more to them than their real family.

And on top of everything, I had to figure out a way to tell my mother that I wasn't spending Christmas with her, _without_ telling her that I was going to see my boyfriend's family. I hated to lie to her, but I just couldn't deal the stress of her lecturing me, _and_ the stress of meeting Edward's family. I just couldn't! So about a week after I agreed to go, I called my mother up. I knew exactly what I was going to say; I just hoped she believed me. My mother had an uncanny ability to see straight through me.

After five rings my mom answered, sounding a bit breathless. "Hello?" she asked.

"Hey mom, it's me. Why do you sound so out of breath?" I asked.

"I misplaced my phone again. But I found it! Anyways, what's up honey?" she asked.

"Um… I wanted to talk to you… about Christmas." I said.

"Oh? What about Christmas?" I bit my lip, and took a deep breath.

"I'd like to see Charlie for Christmas." I said. There was a long pause, and I could practically hear my mother's shock through the silence in the phone. "Mom?"

"I'm still here. Why? You haven't seen him in two years. The last time you spoke to was…"

"Over three months ago, for my birthday." I mumbled.

"Yes. So why the sudden urge to see him?" she asked.

"Well… I've just been thinking lately, about family." I said. Which was true enough. "I just… I feel like it's now or never, you know?"

"Well… alright. If it's what you really want." She said, uncertainly.

"It is." I said, relieved.

"Okay, honey. I'll miss you though." She said. I smiled.

"I'll miss you too. Love you, mom." I said.

"Love you too, honey. Bye Bella."

"Bye."

I hung up, and felt intensely relieved. For I while I just sat on my bed and thought. It had started out as an excuse, but now that I thought about it… maybe I would go see Charlie this Christmas. I'd surprise him, and we could have a little Christmas with just us. I smiled. I'd never been really close with my dad, but he was always nice, and when you got him to open up he had a good sense of humor.

Satisfied with my decision, I called Edward. "Hello beautiful." His velvet voice greeted me. He always answered my calls the same way, and it always made me smile.

"Hello. I told my mom that I was going to spend Christmas with my dad. So I'm going to visit him once we get there." I said. I'd explained to Edward about my mother's obsessive tendencies, so he knew what I was talking about.

"Alright. I didn't know your father lived in Forks."

"I didn't tell you that? Huh. Well, when I was a baby my mom and I lived there with him. Then, a few months after I was born, my mother took me to Arizona, because she wasn't happy there anymore."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Bella."

"For what?"

"That you're parents spilt so early. That had to be hard."

"Not really. I don't remember anything from when I lived there, and I could always visit whenever I wanted to. My dad and I were just never close." I said. It always made me a little sad when I said that.

"I'm sorry." He said again. I smiled.

"That's okay. Alright, I need more reassurance." I said. Edward laughed. Periodically I would ask Edward to tell me again that everything would be fine, and his family would love me.

"Okay. Everything will be absolutely fine, Bella. My family will adore you, and I'm sure you'll have them wrapped around your finger, right above where I'm currently residing." He said. I melted.

"Oh, Edward." I murmured.

"Wait, I'm not done. We'll get there, and we'll decorate a ridiculously big tree with outrageous amounts of ornaments, and we'll have a big dinner, and my mother will tell horrifyingly embarrassing stories about Jasper, Emmet, and I, and you will laugh until you fall over. Then we'll open gifts on Christmas morning, and you will pledge undying love and gratitude to me when I give you your gift." He said teasingly. I laughed.

"I don't know… I don't pledge my undying love and gratitude easily." I said. Edward chuckled.

"I'm not worried." He said. I thought for a moment.

"Edward, you didn't spend a lot of money did you?" I asked anxiously. There was a confused pause.

"Why?"

"Well, because I don't want you to spend a lot of money on me." I said.

"Why?" he repeated.

"Because, I feel like I can't reciprocated properly." I said.

"What do you mean? Bella, just by being with me, you give me the greatest gift of all." He said, sounding both frustrated and a bit offended. Even while my heart melted and danced in my chest, I sighed in frustration.

"You see?! That's what I mean. You are just so… so perfect, and I'm a plain Jane. So by choosing to be with me, you're giving me everything. Anything on top of that just throws us more out of balance." I said.

There was a very long pause, and because it was a phone call, I couldn't tell what he was feeling or thinking. "Bella, you saying that makes me so mad, I can't even tell you." He said, furiously. I blinked in surprise. I'd never seen or heard Edward angry. Ever!

"What? Why?" I asked.

"I'll be over in a few minutes. Don't leave." He said. Then the line cut out. I stared at the phone in blank confusion, wondering what on earth had made Edward so mad. He'd never even been cross with me. I'd say the same thing, but I wasn't really a morning person, so sometimes when he called to wake me up I'd be just a bit grouchy. But other than that we'd never really fought. It was kind of fascinating and terrifying at the same time.

I walked into the living room, frowning. Alice looked up from the T.V, and Rose from her magazine. "What's up Bells?" Alice asked.

"I think Edward and I are having our first fight." I said. Rose raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? About what?" she asked.

"About not spending a lot of money on me." I said.

"Why don't you want him to spend money on you?" Alice asked. I told them what I'd told Edward, and they rolled their eyes simultaneously.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. When are you going to see yourself clearly? You are the smartest, prettiest, funniest, and most caring girl I know. And before you deny it," she said, as I was about to. "Let's look at this using your twisted logic. If you weren't all of those things, would a great catch like Edward ever spend a single second with you?" she asked. I didn't have an answer to that. Rose grinned in triumph. "So of course Edward wants to be with you. What guy wouldn't?" She asked.

"Most of them." I mumbled.

"But do you want most of them the way you want Edward?" Alice asked. I blinked at her.

"Since when did you get so smart?" I teased. Alice laughed.

"I've always been smart." She said. We all laughed, and then I sighed.

"Now I just have to tell Edward – before he blows up on me." I said.

"Wait, Edward; blow up on you? Are we talking about the same Edward; tall, bronze hair, green eyes?" Rose asked.

"Yep; that would be the one." I said, sighing. Just then there was a knock on the door, and then the door opened and there stood Edward. He looked livid. Uh oh. I was in trouble.

He looked like a young god – beautiful, dangerous, and unstoppable. Alice, Rose, and I exchanged surprised and (to be honest, a bit frightened) glances. "Alice. Rose." Edward greeted calmly. Oh boy. I was in _big_ trouble. Alice and Rose made a noise that could pass for a greeting. Edward walked forward, and simply threw me over his shoulder. I squeaked, and then before I could react further, Edward and I were in my room, he was setting me on my feet, and closing the door. Then his lips were on mine, and all thought process ceased.

His mouth was hot, rough, and demanding on mine. His hands fisted into my hair, and his body pressed mine into the wall. I moaned when his tongue swept into my mouth. I locked my arms around his neck, and struggled to remember to breath. Suddenly he dragged my head back, and his mouth ravaged my throat. His teeth nipped lightly, and then soothed the small pain with hot brushes of his mouth.

When he apparently decided he'd proved his point, he looked at me. His breathing was just as ragged as mine, and his eyes were hot with both passion and anger. "You are amazing. You are the smartest, most beautiful, most caring person I have ever met. And every day I can't believe how lucky I am to know you." He said. His face had softened, and his eyes quieted. His fingertips brushed over my cheeks. "I can't believe how lucky I am to be able to hold you, kiss you…" he murmured, kissing me softly, and tenderly.

He rested his forehead against mine, and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. It's just, when I heard you say that…" he shook his head. "You take yourself for granted, Bella. Something that I will never do." He said fervently. I smiled, touched his face softly, and then chuckled.

"Yeah, I'd sort of figured that out while you were on your way over. I talked to Alice and Rose, and they gave me a good kick in the ass, so to speak, and set me straight." I said. Edward grinned, and kissed me again. I didn't think I'd ever get tired of that.

"Remind me to thank them." He murmured.

"Mmm…" I hummed. I braided my fingers into his hair, and kissed him. A brush of lips, a slide of tongues, soft murmurs and sighs – all things that I couldn't get enough of when I kissed him. It made me feel like a cat, stretching and then curling up in front of a warm. All softness and warmth. And then there wasn't any of that – all wild passion, frantic hands, and urgent mouths. God I couldn't get enough of him.

When I pulled away, I chuckled. Edward smiled. "What?"

"We just had another first. Two, actually," I said. He titled his head to one side.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Our first fight and our first makeup kiss." I said. Edward grinned mischievously, and I shivered delightedly.

"I can't say I enjoyed the first part of that overly much, but the second part…" he said, kissing me again. "Was exquisite," he finished. I chuckled, and dragged him over to my bed. We both lay down on top of the covers, and curled into each other. I sighed. In a few days there would be yet another first. Meeting the family… I hoped that one would go over as well as this one.

**Ending Note:** Okay, I know that I said this one would be the uber important one, but it didn't work out that way. Lol. Anyways, the next chapter will definitely be the important one. I don't know when I'll have it up, but hopefully soon. Thanks again to everyone whose read and reviewed. But never hesitate to read and review more! I'm such a slut for reviews. Lol. Love you guys!!! Peace!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	9. Holiday Surprises Ch 9

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everybody! Okay, this time I'm sure this is going to be the important chapter. I swear. Lol, anyways, this is the chapter where everyone goes to Edward's parents' house for Christmas. Lots of fun stuff to ensue! Lol, hope you like it!

**Holiday Surprises**

Holy shit! That was my first thought when I slapped off my alarm and saw the date. December 21; I was going to meet Edward's parents today! Aahh!!! I couldn't tell if I was more excited or terrified. Thanks to Alice and Rose, I was already packed – half with what I deemed necessary and half with what they deemed necessary. Now all I had to do was get dressed, grab my bags, and meet Edward at his place. I groaned.

I took a shower and let the hot water and familiar scent of my strawberry shampoo relax me. After drying it, I could tell with one glance that I would lose the battle with it. So I threw it up into a pony tail and was done with it. I went into my room, wrapped in a towel, to try and decide what to wear. "Morning sunshine!" Alice chirped. A few years ago, I would have squealed and run into the bathroom to preserve my modesty, but by now I was used to it.

"Morning Alice." I replied. "I can't decide what to wear." I said. I'd said the magic words. Alice bounced up to my closet, and dove into my clothing. She came out with a quarter sleeve deep green top, and a black knee length swirly-hem skirt. She presented them to me, and I grinned. "You're a life saver." I said. I kissed her cheek, which made her giggle, and then laid the clothes out on my bed. Then I turned back to face her. She was already dressed to impress, in a deep blue and silver dress that came to her calves, and off the shoulder pretty lightly ruffled sleeves. "You look very snazzy today." I said. She beamed.

"Thanks. I picked out my clothes last night so I wouldn't agonize over them this morning." She said. I laughed.

"I smart choice I will remember next time." I said. "I'll be out in just a minute." I said. She nodded, and danced back out of the room.

After getting dressed, and applying light makeup (as was advised by the fashion goddesses otherwise known as my roommates), I went into the living room. I saw that Rose was also looking her best. She'd pulled her hair into a side-swept ponytail, and was wearing dark grey slacks with and a soft gold top just a shade or two darker than her hair. I took a deep breath. "You girls ready?" I asked. They nodded. We loaded our stuff into our cars (which as you can imagine was heavy and tiresome work, considering who my friends were) and then headed over to the meet the guys.

The entire way there I had to force myself to stay calm. I mean, for crying out loud, it wasn't like I was going to meet the president, or a celebrity. No, but it wouldn't mean as much if I was meeting the president, I thought to myself. I realized the only reason I was so nervous was because it meant so much to me for Edward's parents to like me. It was obvious that he loved them; you could see that plainly every time he talked about them. So if he loved them, they were important to him, and therefore important to me. Not to mention that Edward was the old fashion type – pull out chairs, open car doors, and so on. That was one of the things I loved about Edward. Bringing the girlfriend home would be very important to someone like him. God I hope this goes well!

We got to the guys' place right on time, for once. I bundled myself up in my nice coat, and shivered. Damn it was cold! Alice, Rose, and I linked arms and huddled together for warmth, and walked up into the apartment. We walked up the stairs, and then split. Alice and Rose knocked on Em and Jazz's door, and I knocked on Edward's. Edward wrenched the door open, and grinned at me before picking me up and kissing me senseless. When he pulled away my head was spinning, and my body was swaying. "Wow. I take it you missed me?" I said meekly. Edward laughed.

"Well, that too. But mostly I'm excited. I can't wait for you to meet my family." He said. I smiled. Yep, I was right. This was very important to him.

"I can't either." I said truthfully. He smiled, and looked across the hall. It seemed as if Emmet and Jasper were thinking along the same lines as Edward, because all three of them were grinning charmingly and boyishly.

"Shall we?" he asked. The guys nodded, and all six of us headed out to the car. We piled mine, Jasper, Edward, and Emmet's stuff into his Volvo, and then Alice and Rosalie's stuff into Emmet's Jeep. This was the easiest arrangement, since Alice and Rose had packed so much crap. Alice, Jazz, and I were riding in the Volvo with Edward, and Em and Rose were taking his Jeep.

We all piled into our cars, and then headed out. It was only eight o'clock, so we had plenty of time to get to Forks. On regular conditions, it took about five hours to get there, but with snow, we had to be careful, which meant slow. And slow, meant that Edward was grumbling under his breath the entire way. He would never risk our safety and drive too quickly, but that didn't mean that he was happy about it. So to help pass the time, I'd brought along Alice's and mine favorite CD mixes, and we played slug bug. We started out with just light taps on the arm, but after a while it got really competitive, and when I could swear I could feel a bruise forming, I decided that was enough of that game.

We stopped about halfway there at a diner, and got some lunch, and Edward called his mom to check in. Apparently that was another thing our mothers had in common – they were both major worriers. Then we were back in the car. Once we were on the freeway and the chances of getting into an accident due to snow decreased, Edward held my hand. It was a casual gesture that he didn't seem to notice, but I did. It was little things like that that I had seen many of my friends take for granted. But I made myself notice. I looked at Edward, and really focused on the little things. Like the way his eyes got soft and far off when he was thinking, how his hair fell just so across his forehead, the soft lines of his mouth, the sharp angel of his cheekbones, the stone line of his jaw, and the broad strength of his shoulders.

Edward really was beautiful. Beautiful isn't a word most apply to men, but it was the first word that popped into the mind. But there was so much more under the surface. He was so selfless, considerate, caring, sweet, funny, and smart. He was incredibly smart. And he really cared about people. You could see it when he spoke, or when he looked at you. And when he held me, I felt like he would never hurt me, and never let me go. I trusted him, and I felt completely, and utterly safe.

The drive went by much quicker than I expected, though I think that had more to do with the fact I wanted to drag it out as long as possible, than anything else. We got to Forks around two, which we were all pretty happy about. None of us wanted to be driving in the dark in the snow. I'd been here a couple times, and not much had changed since. Everything looked comfortably familiar, and quiet. We drove by my dad's house, and I winced. He'd left everything the same too. Whenever I was there, I felt like he was waiting; waiting for my mom to come home. It felt kind of sad – that was one of the reasons I stopped coming. I felt like I reminded him too much of Renee, though I was more like Charlie; dark hair and eyes, shy, and a preference to being alone.

We drove a little ways out of town, and then turned down an almost nonexistent driveway. I was a little nervous. It was a privet driveway. "Um, Edward?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"What does your dad do for a living, exactly?" I asked. Edward's expression hardened briefly, but then became unreadable.

"He's in the family business. Both he and my Uncle are doctors." He said. I winced.

"Successful doctors?" I asked. He looked confused.

"Yes, why?" he asked. I didn't need to explain further, because right then we pulled out of the trees, and into a big open field. In the center of that field, was a big white house, straight off the cover of Home and Garden.

I could only gape. It was the most beautiful house I'd ever seen. The Masen house was shaded by cedar trees; a large white mansion three stories tall with a wrap-around-porch, with a river sneaking out of the trees to disappear behind the house again. It seemed eerily familiar. It felt like… like I'd been here before. I wondered if my dad had ever mentioned this place to me. I was stuck yet again with its size when I thought of my dad's modest sized home. "Oh my god." I whispered. Edward looked at me curiously.

"What?" I glared at him.

"Edward, you might have mentioned that you were _rich_!" I said. A strange expression came over his face. It was cold, and detached.

"What difference does it make?"

"Because now I feel frumpy!" I squeaked. Edward's expression cleared, and he laughed, and so did Alice and Jasper.

"Don't worry Bella, you look beautiful." Alice said. I just shook my head, and bit my lip. Now I was infinitely more nervous than I had been, and I didn't think that was possible. Edward and Jazz opened our doors for us, then we got out bags and caught up to Rose and Em. Alice grabbed some of her bags, and Jasper took the rest, and Emmet did the same.

We all walked up to the front door, and Edward unlocked the door. "Hello? We're home!" he called. We set our bags in the foyer, and Edward looked around. Then he noticed a small piece of paper on the table just inside the door. "They had to run out to get a few things. They'll be back in about an hour." He said. "That'll give us time to get settled then. Let's go." He said. We all picked up our things again, and went upstairs. The entire time we were walking through the house, I could swear I'd been there before. It was the strangest sensation.

"Emmet, Jasper, you can take your usual rooms." He said. They nodded, and headed down the hall. It seemed as if they knew this house as well as they knew their own. Edward looked at me. "You can share my old room with me… if you want." He said. I smiled.

"Like I'd want to sleep anywhere else?" I asked. He grinned.

Before Edward could lead the way, my body went on autopilot. I headed down the hall, and stopped in front of a door. Before I could open it, Edward stopped me. "Bella?" he asked. I looked up at him. He was frowning.

"Huh?"

"How did you know which room was mine?" he asked. I blinked in surprise.

"Oh. I don't know. I was kind of on autopilot." I said. He shook his head as if to clear it and then we went in. When we entered his room, I gasped. The entire south wall was glass, and it overlooked the river. It was beautiful. "Wow." I said. Edward smiled.

"The whole wall is like that, not just this one." He said.

"It's amazing." I said. Then the strangest thing happened. I had a sudden flash, as if a memory or dream suddenly recalled. I saw myself, when I was very, very young. I was standing in front of the glass wall, by tiny hands and nose pressed eagerly against the glass, peering out at the world with a look of awe.

"Bella? Bella." Edward called, shaking me slightly.

"What? What?" I asked, startled. He smiled.

"You were spacing out. Are you okay?" he asked. I smiled, and nodded. I shook off the strange vision. It was impossible. I hadn't lived in Forks for more than a month after I was born, and I'd never been to this house any of the times I'd visited.

Edward and I unpacked, and it felt… nice. It felt warm, and comfortable. Our clothes were side by side in closets, and had neighboring drawers, and there were two toothbrushes on the bathroom counter. I was smiling the entire time we unpacked.

After we were done, we met up with the others, and the guys gave us a grand tour of the house, complete with stories of mischief that occurred in each room. Downstairs, we walked past a piano, and I wanted to ask Edward which person in his family was musical, but I was suddenly distracted. Em, Rose, Jazz, and Alice had already moved onto the next room, but I was rooted in place. I stared at the wall behind the piano, which was in the front room. I stared, and for some reason couldn't look away. Even when Edward called to me. "Bella?"

There was a picture. It was off a young boy, and a young girl, neither of them more than four. They were sleeping, curled up together in the grass. The girl was resting her head on his chest, her curly brown hair falling into her face, her tiny hand fisted in his shirt. The boy's wavy bronze hair fell into his eyes, and he had one skinny arm under his head as a pillow.

I stared for a long time, frowning. Why did this one picture seem so important? Why did I feel as if it was everything? I stared, and searching the very ends of my memory, trying to find some hint as to what this picture meant to me. And then it hit me.

Memories flew past my widened eyes, and I gasped. I squeezed my eyes shut again, and tried to focus on the flying images. Edward and me as children, playing together in my father's backyard, sitting together on his porch on the swing, laughing, crying together. Crying together… Edward was running towards the back of my car, he fell… I had wept for him. My eyes flew open. _Edward!_

**Ending Note:** Yay! Cliffy!! They are so much fun. Lol. Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I was _very_ busy. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully soon. Thanks again to everyone whose faved, reviewed, and read. You rock!! Peace!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	10. Reunion Ch 10

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! This chapter is going to be lots of fun. Bella reunites with her 'Aunt and Uncle' and she and Edward finally realize they were friends. Hope you like it!

**Reunion**

_Edward!_ I turned to face Edward, who was several steps away from me, staring at me confusedly. My heart was heavy and aching in my chest. He was it. He was everything. There was never anyone before him, and there would never be another after him. I was hopelessly in love with him. This was that missing piece that I'd puzzled over ever since I'd met him. This was why he looked so familiar, why this house was like a second home to me. I think in my heart I'd waited for this moment, this moment right here, to realize I was in love with him. He'd been hinting that he was in love with me for a few weeks, but I needed this to know it. I had to know that we were meant for each other. And how better to know that, than to know that he'd been my best friend, my other half when I was only a child?

I felt so much… too much. I felt pain for losing him, a blinding joy at finding him, and a love for him that seemed to drown out everything else. But I also felt furious. My mother had lied to me. She'd let me forget the most important person in my life. She had downright deceived me. There was no excuse.

But I shoved that away for now. Right now there was just me, and just Edward. "Edward?" I asked; my voice small. I took a step forward, still struggling to believe that it was really him. "Edward." I said again.

"Yes… Bella what's wrong?" he asked, sounding anxious. I shook my head. I laughed weakly, and then grinned up at him. I ran forward, and leapt up to wrap my arms around his neck, and my legs around his waist. Edward stumbled a few steps, but managed to catch both me and his balance.

"Edward!" I exclaimed, and began covering his face with adoring kisses. Edward laughed, and allowed himself to be adored.

"Bella, not that I mind all this, but can I ask what brought it on?" he chuckled against my mouth.

"Just shut up for a minute." I murmured. Then I kissed him hard and long. I pressed my mouth firmly to his, and fisted my hands in his hair. I nipped lightly at his lips, and when they parted on a small gasp, I swept my tongue in to taste him fully. I felt the change in Edward immediately. I felt all his muscles tighten beneath me, and his arms tightened around me like iron vices. He returned my kiss with fiery passion that burned me alive.

All I could think was _yes_. This was what I wanted, what I needed. Him, and only him. "Edward." I murmured against his mouth. The emotion that welled up inside me made me soothe him, gentle the kiss, and then pull away to simply stare at him. "I've waited all my life for you. It's been a long wait." I said, tears filling up my eyes. Edward's were still hot, but now they were sharp and alert as well.

"Bella, what are you saying?" he asked. I smiled.

"I'm saying that I am desperately and hopelessly in love with you. And that all my life I've had you in my mind; ever since I left." I said. Edward kissed me long and hard.

"God Bella, I've been waiting for the right moment to tell you this. I love you. More than I ever thought possible." He said. I smiled, and waited for the rest of what I said to catch up to him.

Sure enough, he frowned. "What do you mean, ever since you left?" he asked. I smiled, and slid down from my position of being wrapped around his torso. Edward's breath hitched, and he glared at me. "You couldn't have just jumped down?" he asked. I laughed, and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry." I said. I took his hand and led him over to the picture. "Do you know when that picture was taken?" I asked. Edward looked at it.

"I don't know. I look about four years old. Why?" he asked.

"Do you know who the girl is?" I asked. He looked at it harder. Then his eyes widened.

"No. That's… that's not possible." He whispered, looking back at me. I smiled.

"That's what I thought, too. But think Edward. Think hard. Try to remember. Try to remember me." I murmured. Edward looked back at the picture, and I could practically watch the memories that slowly reformed in his mind. Then his head bowed, and I saw a single glimmering tear.

"You left me." He said; his voice a broken whisper. I turned him around, and took his face in my hands. Tears filled my eyes when I saw the pain in his.

"I didn't want to. I swear I didn't. I wept for days, weeks, months. Then my mother, she…" I thought hard. "She did everything she could to distract me. We never spoke of you. And soon she convinced me you were an imaginary friend from my childhood. And then you were nothing more than a dream. It nearly shattered me when I left you. I think my mother was trying to protect me from the pain of losing you. But it hurt me more when I forgot you." I said. Edward nodded.

"I think my mother must have done the same." He said. Then the pain was back. "I tried to follow you." He said. My heart tightened painfully.

"I know. I watched you fall. And I am so sorry. I wanted you so badly I could hardly stand it. You were my best friend, Edward; my only friend. You were my other half, the missing piece of me. And when I grew up, I had this image of a guardian angel in my mind. It was you. You were always there, in the back of my mind. Like dream, I would think of you, and it would comfort me. I think that's why all of my other relationships failed so miserably. I was looking for you, but I never found you, and it made me feel dissatisfied, and frustrated, without knowing why." I said. Edward's eyes became clear, and warm.

"It was the same for me. I looked for you in the women I saw, but I never found you. I wanted desperately to find you, to find that familiarity, that comfort and pure trust that we'd had as kids. But I never found it." He said. I kissed him softly.

"No, not never. You have me now. And I swear to you, you will never lose me again." I promised. Edward cradled my face in his hands.

"Swear it to me." He murmured. "I couldn't take losing you, not now that I've found you again." He said.

"I swear it." I murmured. He kissed me again, and I could feel all the love that he had for me, in that single meeting of lips.

We pulled away, and then linked our hands. We turned back to the kitchen, and saw that everyone was watching. I blushed furiously. "How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"Since the beginning." Alice sniffled. She swiped at her cheeks, and I saw that Rose was doing the same thing.

"I think that is the sweetest, most romantic thing I have ever seen." Rose said. Both she and Alice rushed forward and hugged me.

"I knew it was meant to be." I heard Alice whisper. I smiled.

"Thanks. But I hope you know that now I shall have to kill you for eavesdropping." I said. Alice and Rose laughed. I looked at Edward, and raised a brow. He grinned, and nodded. And then we pounced simultaneously. Edward tackled Alice, and began tickling her mercilessly, as I did the same to Rose.

Through the squeals of laughter, they begged for mercy, and when that failed they demanded help from Jasper and Emmet. They just laughed. "Sorry darling, but you deserve it." Jasper said. Emmet laughed his booming laugh, and everything was perfect. I had everything I could ever want – a man who I'd loved since I was four, and friends who I knew without a doubt I could count on. It was completely, and utterly perfect. Once we'd finally allowed Alice and Rose to get to their feet, and catch their breath, we all just stood together for a moment. We were all thinking the same thing. How could have we gotten so lucky?

Then there was the sound of the front door opening. "Edward? Emmet? Jasper? We're home!" I heard a familiar voice call. Aunt Lizzie! God I'd missed her. Well, now that I remembered who she was, I realized I missed her. She'd been like a second mother to me. She walked around the corner with her husband, Edward Sr., and then froze when she saw me. She looked just the same as she had the last time I saw her, on that horrible day. Her hair was dark blonde, and fairly short, and kind of wavy, her eyes were a green a few shades lighter than Edwards, and she had a tall, slim build. Edward Sr. stood beside her, the same stunned expression on his face. He looked pretty much exactly like Edward, spare for the eyes, which were grey, and the hair, which was streaked with silver. god

Edward's mom raised a hand to her lips. "Oh my." She whispered. "Bella?" she asked weakly. I nodded.

"Hi Aunt Lizzie." I said. Tears slipped slowly down her cheeks.

"Yes, you used to call me that." She whispered. She laughed, and held her arms out. I ran forward and returned her hug enthusiastically. "Oh Bella!" she whispered. "We've missed you." She said. Once she released me Edward Sr. scooped me up in a big hug.

"Hey there, kiddo." He said. I laughed, and kissed his cheek.

"Hey yourself." I said. He gave me the same crooked grin I loved best about Edward.

"Oh Bella, you remember us?" Liz asked. I smiled.

"Not until about five minutes ago. I saw the picture." I said, gesturing towards it. Liz nodded.

"Yes, of course." She murmured. Then she looked at Edward. "Wait a minute, this is the girl you were bringing home for us to meet?" she asked disbelievingly. Edward nodded. She looked at me. "You mean that you're the one?" she asked. I smiled.

"Yes. I've been in love with your son for a very long time." I said. Liz made a whimpering noise, and then pulled me hugged me tightly again.

"I'm so glad he found you." She whispered.

"I'm glad I found him. It hurt so much when I lost him." I replied. I pulled away. "Which I believe means that we are owed an explanation." I said. Liz nodded, and sighed.

"Yes, yes you are." She said, looking tired. "Well, let's sit down, and I'll explain." She said.

Edward and I settled on the floor, his parents sat on the couch, Jasper sat on the big overstuffed chair with Alice in his lap, and Emmet and Rose took the loveseat. Liz sighed again. "Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning." She said. "Bella, your mother and I met when we I first moved here. We clicked instantly; we were both newlyweds, and we were both expectant mothers. We went to all the classes together, watched those horrifying labor videos together, and complained about our husbands." She said, sending an adoring look to her husband, who smiled back at her. "We became best friends, and like teenagers, promised each other we'd stay that way. And things were even better, because you and Edward were practically attached at the hip." She said, smiling at us. Then she sighed. "But that changed.

"Your mother and father started to fight. Well, that's not exactly true. Your mother would fight, and Charlie would try to fix whatever she deemed wrong. But for some reason, Renee just wasn't happy here. She got stir crazy, I guess. She didn't want to be stuck in Forks for the rest of her life. The one thing she was truly worried about was separating the two of you. You two were… gosh, it's hard to explain. You were never apart; when one of you got hurt, the other would cry out, when one of you was sad, so was the other. I would say it was like you were twins, but that's not right. We always thought that you two would wind up together." She said, her eyes going misty. Then she shook her head. "I'm getting ahead of myself.

"Anyways, you and Renee came over for one last goodbye. She already had the car packed, so that I couldn't talk her out of it. We talked about it, and we knew that this would just kill the two of you. So we decided to slowly let you forget; step by step, we helped you forget that pain. We were only trying to protect you. But I know it didn't help much. Edward was so sad, for so long. Then he slowly began to forget, to heal I hoped. Then " She said, pleadingly. Edward and I looked at each other.

"It didn't help." I said, quietly. "I always felt that loss." Edward nodded in agreement, and kissed me softly. His mom looked about ready to burst from satisfaction.

"I know it didn't help much. Edward was so sad, for so long. Then he slowly began to forget, to heal I hoped. Then he met those two, and he seemed happier. I was so glad. But tell me, how did you meet?" she asked. I smiled.

"I moved to Oregon, to go to school. That's where I met Rose and Alice." I said, nodding at my two best friends.

"Oh my goodness! I've been so distracted with all of this, I forget to ask you. Jasper, Emmet, introduce them." She said sharply. Jasper and Emmet grinned sheepishly.

"Yes mom." They said in unison. Liz just smiled.

"This is the love of my life, Alice." Jasper said, kissing her forehead lightly. Alice beamed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Masen." Alice said. Liz smiled.

"Please, call me Liz." She said. Alice smiled back.

"This foxy woman over here is Rosalie." Emmet said, grinning. Rose rolled her eyes, but her smile ruined it.

"It's lovely to meet you." Rose said.

"Likewise, dear. Alright, now that proper introductions have been made, continue with the story." She said.

It turned out that the six of us told the story. We weaved together the three couples, and by the time we were finished, Liz couldn't have looked happier. "Oh, I just couldn't be more pleased with the way that this turned out. Tell me, how is Renee taking all this?" she asked. Edward and I exchanged nervous glances.

"Uh… I haven't… exactly… told her yet." I said. Liz raised a brow.

"Oh? And why not?" she asked.

"Well… like you said, mom got stir crazy here. She got married so young, and well, she doesn't want the same to happen to me, so she gets really protective when I mention guys." I said, nervously. Liz shook her head.

"That's just like Renee, too. And what about your dad?" she asked. I winced.

"Well, I'm going over there at some point this week. I'll probably tell him then. I just hope he won't tell my mom. Until I'm ready to of course." I added hurriedly. Liz thought for a moment.

"Alright, I'll keep your secret for now. But you have to tell her." She said, scolding me. I nodded eagerly.

"Of course. Soon." I added. Liz nodded, seeming satisfied.

"Alright. Well, we've better get going." She said. We all looked at each other, confused.

"Where?" we asked.

"To pick out a Christmas tree of course!" she laughed. We all cheered, and headed for the front door to bundle up. I couldn't wait to do something… as a family.

**Ending Note:** Hey peoples! I hope you liked this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. Though I won't deny, I did cry at one point. I couldn't help it, so don't judge! Lol. Anyways, there will probably be several more chapters about Christmas, so stay tuned. Thanks again to everyone who faved and reviewed, but of course I'm always greedy for more. Lol. Peace!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	11. Perfect Moments Ch 11

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter of Do You Believe In Fate? This chapter is about some Christmas decorating fun, and Bella and Edward re-evaluating where they stand. But don't worry; it's a good kind of re-evaluation. Lol. I hope you like it!

**Perfect Moments**

Edward, Emmet, Rosalie, and I all piled into Emmet's Jeep, and then Alice and Jasper went with Edward's parents. We drove through the wintery world, and this time I actually got to enjoy it. Before I'd been too preoccupied worrying; and man did I miss _a lot_. The small town of Forks was covered in a blanket of white; everything seemed to be varying shades of white and grey under the cloud cover. But despite that, it was beautiful. The tall trees were blanketed in white, with spots of deep green peeking out, houses and yards looked like they were made of fluffy cotton, and the air was quite and still. It was wonderful.

We followed Edward's parents to a tree farm, and then piled out into the icy air. I shivered against the chill, and felt a strong arm wrap around me. I smiled up at Edward, and was rewarded with a soft, warm kiss. "Ready to find the perfect tree?" he asked, smiling. I laughed.

"You know, I don't think I've ever done this." I said. "We only had fake trees in Arizona. The last time I had a real Christmas tree was at…" My voice drifted away as I remembered. Charlie. I felt suddenly sad. Edward noticed, and pulled me closer.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he murmured. I nodded.

"It was with Charlie. He always brought home a Christmas tree. I was so young, but I remember it so clearly." I said, my voice quiet. "Those are some of my happiest memories. We'd all decorate the tree together, and Charlie would lift me up so I could reach the high branches. I remember coming over to see you, Aunt Liz, and Uncle Eddie. And we'd all sit in your living room. My mother and Aunt Liz would laugh, and fuss over you and me. I remember being so happy." I said. I buried my face in Edward's side, trying to shut out the pain of the loss of all those happy times. Edward held me tightly, and let me weep quietly.

"I just don't understand what went wrong. I can't understand why my mother would throw all of that happiness away." I said, looking up at him. He wiped away my tears gently.

"I don't know, love. Perhaps you should ask her." He said. I shook my head.

"No. Not yet anyway. I don't think I could have a calm, rational discussion with her about this for a least a year." I said, smiling. Edward chuckled, and leaned down to nibble at my neck.

"I think I'd like to see you lose your temper. You look rather adorable when you're mad." He said against my skin. I shoved him back.

"What do you mean adorable?" I demanded. Edward grinned.

"That's what I mean." He said, tapping a finger on my nose. I frowned, and then walked forward without him. Adorable – the fiend…

Edward laughed, and walked after me. I refused to look at him. As childish as it was, I'm not ashamed to admit I was pouting. "Bella, you know I was just teasing." He said. I huffed in response. "Okay, so maybe I meant it. But it's just another part of you that I adore." He said. I glanced sideways at him, but then looked away. I wasn't really mad, but it would be fun to see him try and make up. Edward grinned. "I could always tamper with your memory." He said. I looked at him in confusion.

"Tamper with my memory?" I asked.

"Something like that." He muttered. He pushed me up against the Jeep, and pinned me there under his body. My heart started to race, my muscles tensed, and my cheeks flushed.

"What are you doing?" I demanded shakily. Edward just smiled. He leaned down, and kissed the hollow of my throat, and his tongue flicked out to trace my thudding pulse.

"Are you mad at me still?" he asked.

"Yes." I gasped. "You… made fun… of me." I said. He chuckled, and brushed his lips in a line from my ear, along my jaw line to my chin, and then back again. On the second circuit of his little torture line, he paused at the corner of my mouth.

"And now?" he asked. All that came out was a low moan. Edward chuckled, sensing an easy victory. He took my face in both hands, and laid his mouth over mine.

His mouth brushed mine gently at first, sliding those soft lips over mine with tender heat. But then he seemed to forget to be gentle, and his mouth ravished mine. It felt like being eaten alive, bite by ruthless bite. I threw my arms around his, and tried to get as close as humanly possible, if not closer. My toes curled, my mind went blank, and my nerve endings did a little jig. God but he could kiss! How did he manage to do this to me? How could he do so many things to my mind, my body, and my heart all with just one kiss? I didn't know the answer to that; all I knew was that I never wanted him to stop. But unfortunately that particular wish wasn't going to hold for long.

Edward pulled away, and gently brushed my hair away from my face. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you, too." I murmured. I was still having difficulty speaking. Edward smiled, and we went back to tree hunting. Alice insisted that we search every aisle until we were allowed to decide on a tree. She said something about it not being fair to the other trees. We finally decided on a huge, ten foot spruce, that the guys somehow managed to secure to the top of Emmet's Jeep. Then we all piled back into the car, and headed back to the house.

Edward's parents went and got all of the tree decorations out, (they'd already decorated the rest of the house) and laid them out in the living room. Alice, Rosalie, and I opened the boxes like they were the presents instead of decorations. We cooed and fussed over Edward's first ornaments, and then handled the beautiful glittering glass ornaments with care. While we were busy unpacking ornaments, the guys decided that it was their job to hang the lights (though Jasper seemed to have enough sense to just stand at the bottom and direct things). Liz and Edward Sr. sat on the couch and watched us, smiling and laughing.

"Emmet, no! That's not how you do it!" I heard Edward say exasperatedly. We turned around from our spot on the floor, and looked up, and saw that Emmet had lights strung around his big arms, and a very confused look on his face. We all burst out laughing.

"It's not funny." Emmet whined. I snickered.

"Sorry, Em. But you look like a Christmas scarecrow with your arms out like that." I said. Emmet looked at himself, and then laughed.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of do." He said sheepishly.

Rose got up and helped him get himself untangled. Emmet handed the lights over to Edward. "Here, I give up. You deal with it." He said. Jasper laughed, and then started to direct Edward.

EPOV

After rescuing Emmet from the Christmas lights, we started over. We had the tree about half strung, when I got distracted. I happened to look down while on the ladder, and saw my family spread out around the living room. Emmet of course was trying to hang Christmas ornaments from his ears, causing the girls to go into fits of giggles, and my parents sat cuddled up on the couch smiling at us. Bella looked so beautiful. She sat crossed legged on the floor, laughing, her hair bouncing and swaying gently. Her brown eyes were warm, and filled with love. God could my life be any more perfect.

"Edward!" Jasper shouted. I jerked my head up, and realized I'd been leaned way to far out on the step ladder. And it was too late to try and regain my balance. Down I went. I fell on my ass with a sold thump, and everyone paused. I think they were trying to decide whether or not to laugh, but seeing as how the lights I'd been holding had fallen onto my head, to was too much for them.

Only Bella held in her laugh. She just smiled, and shook her head. She crawled over to me, and then sat back on her knees. She gently lifted the lights off of my head. "Edward?" she asked. I looked up at her.

"What?"

"Remind me never to let you three string lights again." She said. I grinned, and kissed her softly.

"No problem." I said. She laughed, and helped me to my feet.

Bella then climbed up onto the step ladder, and helped me and Jasper string the rest of the lights. This was only after forbidding us from doing it alone again. Then we all hung decorations. We all laughed, and my parents told stories about past Christmases with Emmet, Jasper, and me, and Bella looked at me in amazement after hearing all the mischief I'd gotten into with the two of them.

"I never would have pegged your for a trouble maker." She teased. I laughed, and leaned down to nip lightly at her neck.

"There's a lot about me you don't know about." I whispered in her ear. She flushed, and bit her lip. I chuckled. Sometimes I loved making her just a little bit nervous.

At one point Bella was trying to put an ornament on one of the higher branches but couldn't quite seem to reach. Without thinking about it, I gripped her hips and lifted her gently so she could reach. After I set her down, she turned around and smiled at me. She stood up on her toes and kissed me softly. "Thanks." she whispered. I smiled back.

"Anytime." I said.

BPOV

After we had decorated the tree, we had a big dinner that Liz had made. It was wonderful. It felt so relaxed, and comfortable, with everyone sitting around the table, conversation weaving in and out between people. I felt like I had jumped into a movie, or a book, where nothing could ever go wrong, because these kinds of books always had happy endings. I sighed, and leaned against Edward. He smiled down at me. "Sleepy already?" he asked. I laughed.

"Yep. I got up really early this morning." I defended. "I need my beauty sleep." I teased. Edward shook his head.

"No you don't. You're already beautiful." He said. I rolled my eyes, but smiled.

"Yeah, yeah."

After dinner, and saying goodnight to Edward Sr. and Liz, Alice and Rose declared it was time for one of our meetings. Back in Oregon we always had a privet girl meeting after a major event in our lives. I agreed with them wholeheartedly. It was definitely time for a good talk out after our day today. So after I got into my comfy flannel pajamas, I kissed Edward's cheek, and told him I'd be in soon. We were holding it in one of the extra guest bedrooms (how many of them were in this house?!) so that we wouldn't have to kick the guys out of their rooms. We all had brought pillows and blankets, so we could get comfortable.

We all piled onto the bed, and sighed. "What a day, huh?" Rose asked. Alice and I agreed.

"I'm so emotionally, physically, and mentally spent, I don't know what to do with myself." I said. Alice and Rose sat up.

"So what was it like?" Alice asked.

"What was what like?"

"Finding out you'd known Edward from before. What was it like?" she asked. I sighed.

"It was… everything. So many emotions were spinning around in my mind, I could hardly think. I mean, he was the other half of me when we were kids. We did everything together; everything! And then my – well, our moms made us forget each other. That just… sucked!" I said. "I don't really blame Liz, because my mom didn't give her a choice. But my mom had a choice! Why did she choose to do this?" I demanded. Alice and Rose hugged me.

"I don't know sweetie. I'm sure she had her reasons." Alice said. I sighed.

"I guess. But I don't want to think about that right now." I said.

"Well, what were the other parts like then?" Rose asked.

"It was amazing. To know that all this time, that image of someone I had in my mind was Edward… to know that I've been in love with him all this time. It's the most amazing feeling in the world." I said. Alice and Rose smiled.

"I told you so!" they said in unison. I laughed.

"Alright, alright, enough about me. What about you two?" I asked. Alice and Rose looked at each other.

"Oh yeah, we're in love." Rose said. I laughed.

"Maybe we can start a club. 'Women Hopelessly in Love'." I said. Alice nodded.

"So…." She started. I looked at her.

"So…. What?" I asked.

"If you love Edward, have you…?" she let her question drift off. I knew what she was talking about. I blushed.

"You tell first." I said. Rose grinned.

"Hell, I'll go first. Let me just say, WOW!!!" she exclaimed. I couldn't help but laugh with them.

"That good, huh?" Alice teased. Rose sighed, and grinned.

"Oh yeah. Don't even get me started." She said.

"How soon after you guys started dating?" I asked.

"About a month." She said.

"So around the time that we left for Thanksgiving?" I asked. Rose nodded.

"Right after we came back." She said, and grinned again. "We really missed each other." Alice and I rolled our eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, we know. You're the sex goddess." Alice said. I choked on my tongue, and then laughed hysterically. Rose smiled slyly.

"Well, if the shoe fits." She said. We all laughed again.

"What about you, Alice?" I asked. She flushed slightly.

"Two weeks ago." She said, quietly. "It was perfect." She said, sighing. Rose and I read the emotions on her face, and sighed too.

"Wow." We said. She smiled.

"Yeah. Definitely wow." She agreed.

Alice and Rose looked at me expectantly. "Well?" Rose asked. I flushed, and shook my head.

"No, not yet." I mumbled. Alice patted my hand.

"It's okay, honey. You haven't at all, have you?" she asked. I shook my head.

"It's perfectly okay then. When it's your first time, you have to be sure." She said. I blushed.

"Well, that's the thing. I am sure. But I haven't talked to Edward about it yet. I mean, I know that I want him to be my first. I'm just not sure exactly when that should happen, you know?" I asked, stumbling slightly over my words. Alice and Rose nodded.

"Of course. Why don't you talk to Edward about it, tonight?" Alice asked.

"Tonight?" I squeaked. "Why tonight?" I asked.

"The sooner you get it over with, the better you'll feel. Besides, what better time to do it?" Rose asked. I bit my lip uncertainly.

"I guess. But what should I say?" I asked.

"Just find a way to bring it up, and go with your instincts. You trust him, right?" Alice asked.

"Yes." I said without hesitating.

"Then trust that you can talk to him about this." She said. I nodded.

"Okay. I guess I should get going then." I said, glancing nervously at the door. Alice and Rose nodded.

"Okay." They said cheerfully. They both hugged me and wished me luck, and then we all headed to bed.

Edward was already in bed, and he sat up when I opened the door. "Hey, beautiful." He said. I smiled.

"Hey."

"How was the meeting?" he asked. I could see his smile in the dark as my eyes adjusted. I laughed, and slipped in next to him.

"Good. Very… enlightening." I said. Edward chuckled, and pulled me onto his chest.

"I'm glad." He said. He paused a moment. "Bella?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"I think we should talk too." He said. My heart skipped a beat.

"About?"

"Well, after all that happened today, I wanted to talk about… well, about where we stand." He said.

"Oh." I said. I leaned up and kissed him. "I love you. What more do you need to know?" I asked. I was hoping he'd start the conversation I was hoping to have before I had to.

"Well… nothing I guess." He said awkwardly. I sighed. I guess I was going to have to do this myself.

"Edward?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering… have you ever thought about… well, have you ever thought about taking things to the next level?" I asked. There was a pause, and then Edward sighed.

"I'm glad you brought that up, actually. And yes, I have thought about it. I'm a man after all." He teased. I laughed, relieved.

"Well…" I asked.

"I want to." He said. My heart skipped a beat.

"So do I." I whispered. Edward shifted, and gently pushed me onto my back, settling himself on top of me, and then kissed me softly.

"Are you ready?" he asked, brushing his lips from my mouth to my neck. My breath caught in my chest.

"Now?" I breathed. He chuckled against my skin.

"Call me old fashion, but I'd rather not while we're in my parent's house." He said. I laughed breathlessly.

"Right."

"But soon, Bella. I want to make you mine." He said, his voice a husky growl. I shivered, and moaned softly when he kissed me again. When I thought I might simply combust from the heat and electricity that zinged between us, Edward pulled back. "Soon." He said, again. I nodded. Edward rolled us so that I was resting my head on his chest again.

The room was silent for a long time. Then Edward spoke. "Bella?"

"Yes?" I replied. Edward hesitated, and then held me tighter.

"Do you believe in fate?" he whispered. My heart sputtered frantically in my chest.

"Yes." I whispered back. Edward held me for the longest time, and I slowly fell asleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest under my cheek.

**Ending Note**: Hey everybody! I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been pretty busy lately. I don't know when I'll have the next one out, but I'll have plenty of time for writing with Christmas Break (yay!). Anyways, I hope you like this chapter! And thanks again to everyone whose read, faved, and reviewed! You all ROCK!! XD Lol. More favs, reviews, and messages always welcomed. Happy Holidays everybody!! Peace!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	12. First Christmas Ch 12

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everybody! I hope you all had wonderful holidays. This chapter is about Bella and Edward's first Christmas together as a couple. Yay!

**First Christmas**

On Christmas morning, I felt like a little kid again. Bella was sleeping peacefully next to me, looking like an angel. I couldn't wait to give her the gift I'd gotten her. I smiled, and shook her small shoulder gently. "Bella. Bella, wakeup." I whispered. She stirred in her sleep, frowned, and grumbled something unintelligible. I laughed. "Bella my love, wakeup. It's Christmas." I said. I kissed her pouting mouth softly, and her frown instantly disappeared. I loved that – how responsive she was. She sighed.

"Do I have to get up?" she asked sleepily, her eyes still closed. I laughed again.

"Sadly yes." I said. She sighed again, and slowly opened those big brown eyes. She smiled at me.

"Morning." She said.

"Good morning." I kissed her again, a little more urgently this time. She laughed.

"Excited are we?" she asked. I chuckled.

"How could you tell?" I asked. She smiled.

"Just a feeling." She said. I get up, and dragged her out of bed.

"Come on! Let's go!" I complained, as she shuffled across the floor. I saw her try to contain a smile, and fail.

"I'm still half asleep, Edward." She said. I paused, and then swung her around suddenly so she was pressed between me and the wall. She gasped. I kissed her roughly, nipping at her mouth with my teeth, and then soothed the small pain with my tongue. She parted her lips eagerly, and I tasted her fully.

God. Kissing Bella was like slamming back three shots of hard liquor. It seemed to sharpen every sense, until I drowned in everything that was Bella. My blood sang in my veins, and my heart raced uncontrollably. I didn't know what I'd do if I couldn't have this… have her. I pulled away. "Awake yet?" I asked, grinning. Bella glared at me.

"Yes, you fiend, I'm awake." She said. I laughed. She rolled her eyes, but let me hold her hand.

We went down the hall, and Bella knocked on Rose and Emmet's door, and I knocked on Alice and Jasper's. They emerged, bleary eyed and rumpled. "Is it morning already?" Alice asked sleepily. Bella laughed.

"Yes, Alice. It's morning." She said. Alice smiled.

"Good. Present time!" she said. She then danced down the stairs, Jasper following; smiling and shaking his head. Rose rolled her eyes, and yawned.

"I need coffee." She grumbled. Emmet laughed, and kissed her firm on the mouth.

"Come on, Rosie. Let's go get some caffeine in that sexy little body of yours." He said. Rose smiled, and they followed me and Bella downstairs.

My mother had made waffles and hot chocolate for breakfast, as was our tradition. We all sat down at the breakfast table to eat. Bella looked at her waffles. "Mine's the only one with chocolate chips." She said, suddenly. My mom smiled at her.

"That's the way you like them, isn't it? When you came over here, that's the way that we made them for you." She said. Bella blinked in surprise, and then smiled.

"Thanks." she said quietly. My mom just smiled, and nodded.

BPOV

After breakfast and those yummy chocolate chip waffles, we all headed to the tree, much to the excitement of Alice and Emmet, who had been fidgeting in anticipation all through breakfast. Edward's parents sat on the couch, and the rest of us sat on the floor, gathered around the tree. Alice volunteer to be the Santa this year, and happily bounced from person to person, passing out gifts. Once everyone had their gifts, we all torn in. We went in a circle, that way we could all ooh and aah properly at the gifts.

Aunt Liz got a beautiful emerald bracelet from Edward Sr., who got some sort of hand tool whose function was a mystery to me, but that he seemed very happy with. The guys had all pitched in to buy them both a new T.V. The guys each got CDs, videogames, and movies. Rose got a kick ass pair of heels from Emmet who refused to reveal who had helped him pick them out, (though it was pretty obvious with me and Alice snickering under our breath), and a matching purse that me and Alice had bought for her. She had in turn given him a coupon for one free tune up from her on his car, which had him staring at her slack jawed. Rose just smiled slyly. Alice got a Visa card for a shopping spree from Jasper, a new pair of earrings from Rose, and a crystal ball from me. Alice was always joking that she could see the future. The only infuriating part was that 99% of the time, she was right. I'd bought her the ball as a joke. She seemed delighted with it. She'd given Jasper a beautiful leather bound journal from the Civil War era, filled with journal entries and letters from that time period.

Edward and I were the last ones to open our presents. I made Edward go first. "Come on, hurry up!" I whined. He grinned at me, and went at an excruciatingly slow pace. I bounced in place, waiting for him to open my gift. I wanted so badly for him to like it. He opened up the small box, and I watched in delight as his face lit up.

"It's perfect!" he exclaimed. I'd gotten him a watch, in a simple and yet elegant style.

"I saw it when I was at the mall, and I just had to get it for you." I said, smiling. He smiled, and kissed me softly.

"Thank you. Want to help me put it on?" he asked, grinning. I smiled, and secured it to his wrist. It looked good there. "Now for your present." He said. I grinned, and went just as slow as he had. He groaned.

"You started it." I said. Edward sighed. I opened the small white box, and gasped. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

It was a swan necklace. The wings of the bird were spread wide, so that they would wrap gently around the wearer's neck, and the graceful head was bent. It was made of sterling silver, and the eyes were small winking jewels. "Oh, it's beautiful." I murmured. Edward smiled. He took it from my lightly trembling hands, and then shifted behind me. He put the necklace around my neck, then swept my hair off my neck so he could fasten it. He kissed the nape of my neck lightly, and murmured, "Merry Christmas, Bella." I shivered, and sighed.

"Merry Christmas, Edward." I replied.

After cleaning up all the wrapping paper, we all bundled up, and headed out to play in the snow. The guys got into a very involved snowball fight, while Alice, Rose, and me built some amazing snow people. Then Emmet accidentally knocked the head off of one of our snow people, and etiquette demanded that we avenge the death. Once we were all freezing, wet, and giddy, we collapsed into a huge pile on the snow. "That was pretty awesome." Emmet said.

"Totally." The rest of us agreed in unison. We all laughed.

We tried to go inside, but Aunt Liz yelled at us. "Don't you dare try to come inside in those wet clothes. Go strip in a bathroom, each of you, and I'll bring towels and robes out for you." She said. We all waited in the kitchen, standing on towels, and waited for each person to get out of the bathroom. I volunteer to go last, since I had gotten the least of the snowballs, and therefore wasn't as wet.

Just as I had finished stripping down to my skin, the bathroom door opened. I screamed. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry Bella! I thought you were already done!" Edward said, his eyes screwed shut.

"Edward Anthony Masen, if you even think about opening your eyes, I swear, I will murder you in your sleep." I growled. Edward grinned.

"You sound pretty cute too, when you're mad." He said. I rolled my eyes, and quickly wrapped a towel tightly around me.

"Alright, you can open your eyes." I said. He did, and then he simply stared.

His eyes snapped with heat, and he started toward me. "You wouldn't dare." I said, glaring at him. He grinned mischievously. "Edward, I'm warning you. Edward, I'm practically naked!" I squeaked. That was all I got out before Edward's mouth came crashing down on mine. His body pressed against mine, and the towel I wore was no barrier at all between us. I could feel the heat and solidness of his body, and I shuddered. His mouth was warm, demanding, and urgent on mine. Then suddenly the pace of the kiss changed, and his mouth was gentle, and tender as it moved against mine. I sighed at the love in that kiss.

"Edward." I murmured.

"I love you." He said against my mouth. Even after hearing him say it at least a dozen times, it still made my heart skip a beat.

"I love you too. Now can I please get dressed?" I asked with a smile. Edward chuckled.

"Yes. Sorry I… distracted you." He said, grinning. I laughed.

"Distracted is a word you could use, I suppose." I said. Edward and I walked out of the bathroom, hand in hand.

That night we had a wonderful dinner, which we girls had actually helped cook. I thought again about how right it felt to be here. But I couldn't deny that it felt like something was missing. First, my mother – I missed her. We always spent Christmas together. Not to mention I felt bad for not telling her about Edward. I mean, I was in love with him for god's sake! But Edward was the most important thing in my life, and I wasn't sure how my mother would feel about that. We'd taken things so far, so fast. I had to ease her into the idea of me having a serious boyfriend.

The second thing missing, was Charlie. I missed him. We'd never been really close, but whenever I visited him, things just seemed to click. He was a lot like me – klutzy, quiet, and shy. But once you got him to open up, he had a great sense of humor, and he was just an all around nice guy. The only thing that I didn't understand in this whole thing was why my parents had split up. I remembered my parents being so happy when I was little. But I also remembered fights. I didn't remember what they were about, because I'd always run away to Edward's whenever they started fighting. I wondered if Charlie would be willing to talk to me about it. I'd go see him tomorrow morning, I decided. I'd put it off for long enough. And I wanted to see what he thought of Edward. I needed at least one parent's support.

So after dinner, I told Edward my plan. "Okay. What time do you want to head over there?" he asked.

"Around ten; I want to make sure he's up." I said. Edward nodded, and then cupped my cheek lightly.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" he asked. I nodded.

"At least at first. I want some time to reconnect with him, so to speak. Then I want to ask him about my mom. And then, I'll gently ease him into the idea of me having a boyfriend. We may not see each other all that often, but he is still my dad. I imagine he'll be kind of protective." I said. Edward winced.

"You're dad's the chief of police, right?" he asked. I nodded. "Does he keep his weapon loaded?" he asked nervously. I couldn't help it, I busted up laughing.

"Oh Edward, he's not gonna shoot you!" I gasped between laughs. Edward glared at me.

"That's easy for you to say. My parents already adore you." He said. I paused.

"I wonder if my dad will remember you." I said. Edward shrugged.

"I don't know. But it might make the idea of us dating a little easier on him." He said, thoughtfully. I smiled, and kissed him softly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll love you. Who wouldn't?" Edward smiled.

"You might be a bit biased, Bella love." He said. I just smiled, and snuggled deeper into his side.

"I'm not worried." I said around a yawn. As I fell asleep, I touched my necklace lightly, and smiled...

**Ending Note**: Hey everyone. I'm so sorry this chapter is so short, and that it took so long to get out. I've been busy with the holidays, and then I had a serious case of writer's block. It was one of those times when I knew what I wanted to write, but I just couldn't seem to get it down on paper. Well, screen… you know what I mean. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. The chapter with Bella and Charlie's Christmas is next, and hopefully I'll get it posted later this week. Reviews always welcome! Thanks again for reading, faving, reviewing, etc. Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	13. Second Christmas Ch 13

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter is taking so long to get out. I thought I'd have time during break, but… well, I got busy. Anyways, this is about Bella's Christmas with Charlie.

**Second Christmas**

The next morning when I woke up, I was eager to get going. I wanted to see Charlie. I quietly slipped out bed, not wanting to wake Edward. I grabbed some clothes, and got dressed in the bathroom. When I came back out, Edward was sitting up in bed, looking around blearily. "What time is it?" he asked, his voice husky. I shivered, and licked my suddenly dry lips.

"It's about eight thirty." I said. He ran a hand through his messy hair.

"You heading out already?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Hang on a minute, and I'll get dressed." He said, flipping the covers off his legs.

"No, no. It's alright. I'll call you when me and Charlie have caught up, and you can walk over." I said. "It's not that far. Just make sure you're dressed by ten." I said, and kissed him softly. He tasted warm, and sleepy. I laughed a little bit. "Get some more sleep. I'll call you in a while." I said. He mumbled his consent. Just before I opened his bedroom door, and stopped me.

"Bella?" he called.

"Yes?"

"I love you." He said, sleepily. I smiled.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon." I said. He nodded, and rolled over on the bed. I smiled, and shook my head. He was so cute when he was sleepy.

I went downstairs, and pulled my thick parka coat, gloves, and a knit hat. Then I pulled on my boots, and headed outside. The walk was surprisingly nice. The air was so cold, it hurt to breathe it into my lungs; but it was so pure it tasted sweet on my tongue. The snow crunched under my boots, and the world was so intensely quite, it seemed that I was the only person on the planet. I walked down the road, thankfully not having to worry about breaking my neck, because the snow was soft enough that I wouldn't slip.

When I reached Charlie's road, I took a deep breath. I was a little nervous. After all, he wasn't expecting me. As I walked up the road towards his house, I wondered whether I should ring the door bell, or knock, or just walk in. Luckily I was saved from having to decide, because Charlie walked outside. He seemed to be taking out the trash. He dropped it into the bin outside, and then turned, and paused. He saw me. I grinned. For some reason I didn't really understand, I was outrageously happy to see him. "Hey dad!" I shouted. He blinked in surprise as I walked quickly up the drive.

"Bells?" he asked. I laughed, and threw my arms around him just as he started to smile at me. "Bella!" he laughed, and hugged me tightly. "What are you doing here?" he asked. I pulled back, and grinned.

"It's a long story." I said. Charlie smiled.

"It's a good thing I've got time." He said. "Come on inside. I've got your present in here." He said.

"Oh, Char – uh, dad, you didn't have to get me anything." I said.

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella. Of course I got you something." He said, sounding kind of indignant. I figured it'd be useless to argue, so I just followed him inside.

After removing layers of winter garb, we settled down in the living room. Charlie in his recliner, and me on the couch. I sighed when I saw the tree. It was just like I remembered. It was hard to believe I remembered so much after I'd completely forgotten this part of my life. Maybe Edward was right – maybe it was fate. Charlie pulled a gift out from under the tree, and handed it to me. It was poorly wrapped, which was kind of cute. I smiled over it, and gently tore the paper off. Then I smiled, and sighed.

It was a book. And not just any book. It was a beautiful leather bound copy of the complete works of Shakespeare. It was perfect. The cover was smooth, and soft, and there was the scent of paper, ink, and leather. "Thank you. It's wonderful." I said, reverently. Charlie smiled.

"I remembered your mom saying something about your liking Shakespeare. I stumbled upon that in a book store, in Port Angeles. I couldn't resist." He said. I smiled.

"I'm glad. Thank you." I said. Charlie relaxed into his chair.

"So, how about that long story?" he asked. I bit my lip, then sighed.

"There's something I want to talk to you about." I said. Charlie frowned.

"Alright, shoot." He said.

"I know." I said. "I know that mom and I stayed here longer than a few months after I was born." I said. Charlie's eyes were sad, and his face was weary.

"Damn." He muttered softly. "How'd you find out?" he asked.

"We'll get to that. I want to know why." I said.

"Why what?" he asked.

"Why did you two split up? From what I've recently started to remember, you were happy. _We_ were happy." I said. Charlie sighed.

"It's complicated, kiddo." He said.

"I'm sure I can keep up." I said. I wanted to know, and I wasn't going to let it go. Charlie sighed, and leaned back in his chair.

"It's hard to explain. You're mom… she was always a free spirit; restless, you know. She was happy here, for a time. We were all happy. But then things changed. I tried to ignore the signs, tried to convince myself that I was enough to keep her here. But I wasn't. She didn't want to be stuck in a small town for the rest of her life. And that restlessness showed its self in irritation, quick tempers. We started to fight, and when I saw how upset she was, and how upset our fighting made you, I… I decided it'd be best to just, let her go. And god knows she was a good mother, so I wasn't worried about you. There are only two things that I regret – that your mother became unhappy, and that I didn't get as much time as I'd have liked with you." He said.

My eyes were welling up, and everything blurred. I jumped up from my spot on the couch, and hugged him fiercely. "Oh, well now." He said, his voice gruff. "Bella, you're kind of choking me." He said.

"Oh, just shut up and let me hug you." I said. Charlie laughed.

"Okay. Okay." He said, and hugged me back.

When I pulled away, Charlie sighed. "You realize now of course, that we have to tell your mother." He said. I winced. "Yeah, I know." He said. "Hey, you never told me. How did you find out about all this?" he asked. I flushed a brilliant shade of scarlet.

"Well… do you remember the boy I used to play with as a kid?" I asked.

"The Masen boy? Sure, he was the son of your mom's best friend. You two stick together better than super glue." He said. I laughed at that. "What about him?" he asked.

"Well, I sort of ran into him." I said.

"Ran into him? When?"

"A few months ago." I said.

"And he remembered you?" he prompted.

"Not exactly." I said, hesitating.

"Bella, what aren't you telling me?" he asked. I sighed.

"Well, we're sort of… dating." I said. Charlie raised his brows.

"Sort of?"

"Well, we are. And it got… serious, so he invited me back here for Christmas, so I could meet his family. That's when everything came out – when I went to the Masens' house." I said. Charlie rubbed his chin looking speculative.

"So he took you home to meet his parents?" he asked. I nodded. "And how's your mother handling this?" he asked. I grimaced.

"Well… she doesn't exactly… know about Edward yet." I said. Charlie raised his brows again.

"That's only gonna make it worse when you tell her later." He said. I sighed. If nothing else, my father still knew my mother.

"I know. But I'm just not ready to tell her about him yet. You know how she gets about things like this." I said. Charlie nodded.

"I know. Alright. I'll keep my mouth shut. But I want to meet him." He said sternly. I somehow managed to conceal my grin. This was going just the way I wanted it to.

"Alright." I said, trying to sound reluctant. "I'll call him and tell him to come over." I said. I smiled as I went into the kitchen to use the phone.

"Hello?" I heard Edward's voice over the line. I sighed.

"Hey handsome." I greeted.

"Hello beautiful. How are things going?" he asked.

"Well. Charlie wants to meet you." I said. Edward hesitated. "Come on, you chicken. Get your butt over here." I said. Edward sighed.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." He said. I laughed.

"Okay. Love you."

"I love you too. I'll be over in a few minutes." He said.

"Okay."

Sure enough, there was a knock on the door ten minutes later. I smiled when I opened the door. "Hey." I said. Edward smiled.

"Hello." He held my face lightly in his hands, and kissed me softly. I heard Charlie clear his throat, and I flushed as I pulled away. Edward gave my hand a quick squeeze, and then moved forward towards Charlie. "Chief Swan, it's a pleasure to meet you… again." He said, grinning. Charlie took his hand, and they shook. I had a feeling one of those important male moment test thingies was going on. Charlie looked Edward over, and Edward's expression remained calm, and his gaze was steady on Charlie's. After a moment, Charlie smiled a bit, and nodded slightly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Edward… again. You're a lot taller than the last time I saw you." He said. Edward laughed.

"I should hope so." He said.

"Come on in then, and you two can finish explaining exactly what has been going on around here." He said.

EPOV

Bella's dad was a pretty great guy. He was kind of quiet, but once he opened up, he was really friendly. Bella and I told him about everything that had happened, and had him laughing at more than one point. I was just glad that I'd passed the handshake test. Once Bella and I had told him everything, Charlie smiled at Bella. "Bells, would you mind getting something for me?" he asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"There's a photo album, in the drawer of that little table by the front door. Why don't you bring it in here?" he asked.

"Sure." Bella danced happily out, and I smiled. Charlie leaned forward, and I winced inwardly. I had a feeling this was coming.

"You take care of her, you got that? I can see you two care about each other – I'm not blind after all. But you hurt my daughter, and you and I are going to have problems." He said, his voice and face hard. I nodded solemnly.

"I understand. I expected nothing less." I said. Charlie nodded.

"Good... Good." He said, leaning back again, and relaxing.

Bella came back in, holding a wide, thick photo album in her arms. We spent the rest of that day looking through all the pictures, and Charlie explained each picture, and put a story to the image. Bella listened intently, and brushed her fingertips over the pictures, and looked both wistful, and sad. There were plenty of pictures of Bella and I, and with those her whole face seemed to warm and soften.

After a while we had to say goodbye. My aunt and uncle were coming over in a few days for second Christmas, and New Years, and we had promised my mother that we'd help get everything ready for them. And there was something that I wanted to show Bella before we headed home. So we said our goodbyes, and then headed back. I wrapped my arm around Bella's waist, and she laid her head on my shoulder. "I'm so tired." She said.

"You should have some time to get more sleep, if you want." I said.

"No, that's not what I mean. I'm emotionally spent." She said, with a little sigh. I winced, and pulled her tighter into my side.

"Bella, are you sure that your mother…"

"No. Not yet." She said. She sounded so sure of herself.

"I just don't understand. You don't think she'd support you?" I asked. Bella sighed.

"Edward, she left my dad because she didn't want to be stuck here; because she thought she married too young. Don't you think she see this as me repeating her mistakes?" she asked. Pain twisted sharply in my gut.

"Is that how you see it?" I asked.

"What? No!" she said, pausing, and turning to face me. "Of course not. How could you even ask me that?" she asked, looking hurt. I held her face in my hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It's always ourselves we don't see clearly." I murmured. Bella frowned at me.

"You're forgiven. Just don't say things like that." She said. I kissed her, and then held her hand again.

"Agreed." I said. We started walking again, but I nudged her towards the other side of the road.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"A place I know." I said. She shrugged, and let me lead her onto a trail that led into the woods. It was amazing, the trust she put in me.

We walked for about a mile, with me helping Bella over fallen logs, and holding back low branches. When the forest began to thin a bit Bella became more alert. "Are we almost there?" Bella asked. I nodded. We walked for another fifty feet, and then there was a break in the trees. I paused, and held Bella back.

"This is a place I found when I was a teenager. I came here, and I thought of you. Even when you were just a vague feeling, or thought, I missed you." I said. Bella's eyes reflected back the love I felt for her. I took her hand, and led her through the trees. Bella gasped.

BPOV

It was a meadow. It was beautiful… it was covered in snow, and it was so completely and totally quiet, peaceful, and wonderful. Then the clouds broke, and the sun poured into the little meadow, like water pouring into a cup. And then everything glittered. The light bounced off the snow and ice, and then splintered into a billion tiny rainbows. It was dazzling, and wonderful, and perfect. "Oh Edward. It's… fantastic." I breathed. Edward smiled. Then stared at me for a moment.

"I never noticed… you're hair looks red in the sunlight." He said. I flushed, and he laughed. "And now your cheeks match." He said. Then he leaned down and kissed each cheek, and then my mouth. I sighed, and grinned. I backed away, and then let myself fall backwards onto the soft snow. I giggled, as Edward followed suit and fell next to me. He grinned, and held my hand. "I love you." He said softly. I closed my eyes, and let his words simply wash over me.

"I love you too, Edward." I said, turning my head to kiss him. He rested his forehead against mine.

After a while, we had to head back. Edward's aunt and uncle would be coming soon for a Christmas/New Year's party, and we'd promsied Liz that we'd help clean house and prepare guest rooms. I couldn't wait to meet them. Edward had told me a little about them, bu from what I heard they were really great. So Edward helped me to my feet, and then we headed back home.

**Ending Note:** Hey everybody. Sorry again this chapter took so long to get out. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. : ) The next one will hopefully be out soon. A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved, and read –love you guys!! Peace!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	14. New Memories Ch 14

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey peoples! Here is the New Years chapter. I hope you like it! : )

**New Memories**

The day before the New Year's Eve party, the house was scrubbed, the decorations were carefully packed a put away, guest rooms were set up, and there were even a few New Year's decorations up. Everything was perfect. Edward's aunt and uncle would be here in a few hours, and I would finally get to meet them. I had a feeling that this would be my real test. Liz and Edward Sr. already knew me, but Carlisle and Esme didn't, so they would be… well, unbiased so to speak. But I was surprisingly calm, which was kind of irritating since I'd been so nervous before I'd met Edward's parents.

The doorbell sounded at noon, and my heart skipped a beat. This was it. "Coming!" Edward called. He got up from his seat next to me on the couch in the living room, and kissed my cheek before going to answer the door. I heard muffled talking from the front room, and I rose. I smoothed my hair, and fidgeted with my sweater, and then forced myself to relax. Edward came back in, with two insanely beautiful people. The man was tall, blonde, and movie star handsome. He had light gold eyes, and a dazzling smile. The woman was even more beautiful. She had long, wavy caramel hair that framed a heart shaped. She had dark brown eyes. There was a resemblance between the woman, who I assumed was Esme, and Liz. I could see how they'd be sisters.

"Hello. You must be Bella." the woman said. "My name is Esme, and it's a pleasure to meet you." She held out her hand to me. I took it, and smiled shyly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Esme." I said.

"This is my husband, Carlisle." She said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Bella." He said, shaking my hand as well. "Edward has told us many good things about you." He said. I blushed, and Edward smiled.

Liz came into the room, and grinned. "Esme! Oh finally!" she said. The two women rushed forward, and hugged. "And Carlisle, I see you're still as handsome as ever." She said in a teasing voice. Carlisle laughed, and returned her hug.

"It's good to see you too. And where's your husband?" he asked.

"Right here. Come on Carlisle, Edward. We've got some manly things to do out in the yard." He said. Edward grinned at me, and kissed me softly.

"I've been summoned. Have fun." He said. I groaned internally, hoping I wouldn't be interrogated too much.

Liz, Esme, and I sat down on the couch just as Alice and Rosalie walked in. "Hey. Edward Sr. steal your guys too?" I asked, relieved I wouldn't be alone.

"Yeah. So we figured we come in here and talk girl talk." Alice said. Esme laughed.

"Good, now I can talk to you three all at once." She said. "So, how did you all meet? You girls, I mean." She asked.

"Well, we all go to college together. Alice is majoring in business and design, because she wants to open her own clothing store, Bella's majoring in literature, and I'm majoring in mechanical science." Rose said.

"Wow. So Rose, I take it you're a car person?" she asked. Rose grinned.

"Oh yeah. I'm a major car person." She said. "I'd like to open my own shop someday. All customizations, upgrades, stuff like that." She said.

"Those are some pretty impressive goals – a car shop, and clothing store. What about you Bella? What do you want to be?" she asked. I bit my lip.

"Well. I'd like to become an editor." I said. "Maybe do some writing of my own on the side." I said, shyly. Esme smiled warmly.

"I think you'd be good at it. You look like one of those people who has all sorts of wonderful stories locked inside your head, just waiting to be written." She said. I flushed, and smiled.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're welcome, darling." She said, smiling.

"Well girls, let's go into the kitchen and get something fabulous cooking." Liz said. We all laughed, and followed her into the kitchen. It was the most fun I'd had cooking in the longest time. Ingredients were added on a whim, and we were going more on taste than we were on a recipe. We laughed, and threw flour at each other, and made an unholy mess.

When the guys walked in, we were all covered in food, and so was the kitchen. We all froze in the middle of whatever we were doing, as the guys walked in the door. They stared at us, and then shook their heads. "Women." Carlisle said, breaking the silence. We all burst out laughing.

"Don't worry, the mess only means the food will taste better." Esme assured them. Edward walked forward, and cupped my face in his hand. His thumb brushed a bit of flour off my cheek.

"Bella darling, you are a _mess_." He said. I giggled.

"Maybe, but at least I had fun while doing it." I said. Then I rubbed my cheek against his, getting his face floured and whatever else happened to be there. He wrinkled his nose, and then glared at me. Then he picked up a bit of brown sugar, and sprinkled it over my hair. I shrieked, and then tossed some rosemary at him. Soon Emmet, Jasper, Carlisle, and Edward Sr. were all involved in the food fight. Then before we knew it there was more food on the walls, counters, and floor, then there was in the bowls and in oven.

"Alright, alright!" Liz shouted. "I think we can officially call this a tie. Let's get the kitchen and ourselves cleaned up." She said. We, the young people that is, were disappointed, but we reluctantly agreed. After getting the kitchen back in order, and making sure the timer was set for things in the oven, we took turn taking showers, while someone watched what was on the burners.

I had just finished getting dressed in Edward's room when he came in, fresh from the shower… wearing nothing but a fluffy pink towel. I was momentarily distracted by his near nakedness, and then I noticed the towel. I snickered, and Edward glared at me. "You want to say something about this? Emmet and Jasper already have, so come on, take your best shot." He snapped. I pursed my lips, trying to hold back a grin.

"Nope. I have nothing at all to say… expect that you look very manly in your pretty pink towel." I laughed. Edward glared at me.

"I'll show you manly." He snarled. He griped my arms, lifted me three inches off the floor, and kissed me. After he had proved his point, he set me back down again, with a triumphant smirk playing on his lips. He walked over, got his clothes, and went into his bathroom to get dressed.

"Where are you going? I'm not done kissing you yet." I said. Edward chuckled, and kept walking. "Damned sneaky fiend. I muttered.

After we were all clean and dressed, we went downstairs for dinner. We all sat around the table, and dug into the food. "I can't deny, you're right. It does taste better after having a food fight." Emmet said. We all laughed. After making dinner small talk, Liz turned and faced me.

"So Bella, we missed you this morning. Where did you run off to?" she asked. I flushed.

"I went to see my dad, to surprise him, for Christmas." I said.

"How nice! I bet he was happy to see you." She said, smiling proudly. I nodded. "Did you… talk?" she asked. I nodded.

"Edward even came over to meet him." I said. Liz grinned, her smile just a little wicked.

"Oh? And how did that go?" she asked. Edward rolled his eyes.

"I survived." He said. Edward Sr. chuckled and Carlisle chuckled, probably remembering when they had to go through the same thing.

"Hey Bella, do you know if he's doing anything tomorrow?" Liz asked casually. I eyed her suspiciously.

"I don't know, why?"

"Well, maybe he'd like to come to the New Year's Eve party. No one should be alone on New Year's." she said.

"That actually sounds perfect." I said. "I'll go call him really quick. Be right back!" I called as I dashed into the living room. I picked up the phone, and dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Hey dad, it's Bella. I hope I'm not interrupting your dinner." I said.

"Oh, it's okay. What's up?" he asked.

"Well, I was wondering if you had any plans for tomorrow."

"No… not really, why?"

"Well, Edward's family is having a party, and we were wondering if you wanted to come." I said.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose." He said.

"Don't worry. There'll be plenty of food. And I'd like you to come." I said.

"Alright. If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. It's kind of a dinner party, so wear something nice." I said.

"You mean like a suit and tie kind of nice?" he asked.

"Yup." I heard him heave a sigh, and I laughed. "It won't kill you to wear a suit, dad. I'll see you tomorrow, get here around nine. We're having a late dinner so we can stay up to watch the ball drop on T.V." I said.

"Alright. See you later, Bells." He said, still sounding sulky. I laughed.

"See you."

After I hung up, I bounced back into the dining room. "He'll be here." I said. Liz and Esme smiled.

"Good." She said. Edward smiled at me, and held my hand.

"You look happy." He said. I smiled back at him.

"I am happy. It'll be nice to have more family here." I said. _All that's missing is mom_. I pushed that thought out of my mind. I'd see her soon. And hopefully I'd tell her soon too. Edward kissed our joined hands.

"Try not to worry too much." He said. I smiled sheepishly.

"Am I that see through?" I asked. Edward just grinned, and kissed me.

The next night, I was only a little bit nervous. Alice and Rosalie had dressed me up, so I wasn't worried about how I looked. I was wearing a black knit dress, with a wide scoop neck, and quarter sleeves. The hem came down just past my knees, and when I twirled, it spun out around me. The waist was cinched with a super thin sparkling belt, and I _felt_ beautiful. I slipped my feet into black ballet flats, and put in the sapphires that my mom had gotten me for my sixteenth birthday. I was wearing the necklace that Edward gave me for Christmas, as was becoming my habit, and some bangle bracelets. Alice and Rosalie had given me some smoky eye shadow to swipe on my lids, and I had also put on some lipstick. I stayed away from blush, because I knew at one point or another I'd take care of that naturally.

I was only nervous, because it was a formal-ish type party, and I'd never really been to one. Not only that, but it was with the whole family. But, like Edward said, I was going to do my best not to worry. Tonight was going to be fun, and I planned on enjoying myself. I was just about to head out when Edward walked in. He looked… breathtaking. He was in a suit, (sans the tie) with black slacks, a black blazer, and a crisp white shirt. He'd left some of the buttons open on the shirt, exposing the strong line of his throat. His hair was as sexily messy as ever, and he was wearing the watch that I'd gotten him for Christmas.

He grinned at me. "You look amazing." He said. I smiled, and went to his open arms.

"Thanks. You too." I said, kissing him. He held out an arm to me.

"Madame." He said. I laughed.

"Monsieur." I linked my arm through his, and we headed downstairs.

When we got to the living room, I had to stop, and take a minute. God there was so many amazing and beautiful people in one room! Emmet was looking adorable but sharp and handsome in a dark blue suit, and Rose in a halter dress in a lighter hue. Her makeup was gold, and her hair was left to wave around her shoulders. Jasper looked dashing in his light grey suit, and Alice in her silvery purple strapless dress, with smoky toned makeup. Aunt Liz looked stunning in a deep green gown, and Edward Sr. in a dark grey suit that mirrored his eye color. Esme was incredible in a gold dress, and Carlisle in a simple black suit.

They were all standing in the living room, talking, laughing, and smiling. When we walked in, they all turned, and waved us in. "Come on in! Dinner will be ready soon, we're just waiting for –" just then the doorbell rang. "Oh, that must be Charlie." Liz said.

"I'll get it!" I said. I dashed down the hall, and opened the door. There was Charlie, looking a little embarrassed, and very adorable in a suit and tie. I smiled at him as his eyes grew wide with shock.

"Wow, Bells." He said. Then he cleared his throat. "You ah, you look great." He said. I smiled.

"Thanks. So do you. I told you the suit wouldn't kill you." I teased. He rolled his eyes.

"It's still early. The tie is kind of choking me." He grumbled. I laughed.

"That's cause you did it wrong. Come here." I tugged him inside, and closed the door. I reached up and loosened his tie. Then I straightened it a little bit, and smoothed it down. "There. Good as new." I said.

EPOV

I walked into the entrance hall to find Bella straightening her father's tie. A sudden rush of affection and tenderness for her nearly left me breathless. She was practically glowing with happiness, and her dad was smiling happily at her. They both turned, and Bella's eyes warmed and melted. "Hey. Dinner ready?" she asked, reaching for my hand, seemingly without noticing. I smiled.

"Yeah. You two ready?" I asked.

"Yup."

"It's good to see you again, Charlie." I said, remembering he said I could call him that.

"It's good to see you too, Edward." He said. We all went into the dining room, and sat around the table.

Dinner was great. The girls had made an amazing dinner of spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread, which was the family favorite. After being quiet for a while, Charlie talked easily with pretty much everybody, much to Bella's joy and relief. Alice of course already had Charlie wrapped around her finger. Every time she spoke to him, he would blush. It was kind of funny to watch. After dinner, all the guys had to do dishes, as was the tradition. If Mom cooked, Dad cleaned, and vice versa. And during that, Emmet of course started a small water war, which Mom caught us in, and scolded us for. It really brought back memories.

Once everything was clean and put away, we all went into the living room, and sat around, and talked. My dad and Charlie were standing by the T.V, probably talking about sports, Jasper and Carlisle were deep in conversation, my mom and Esme were laughing about something, and Alice, Bella, and Rosalie were all talking animatedly and laughing. I just sat back and enjoyed it.

Suddenly Bella looked over at me. "You've been awfully quiet." She said. I smiled, and raised her hand to my lips.

"Just enjoying tonight." I said. She smiled, and leaned for to kiss me.

"Tonight's perfect, isn't it?" she said. I smiled.

"Yeah, it is." I said. I heard my mother calling me. "Yes?" I asked.

"Why don't you play something." She said. I nodded.

"Okay." I looked at Bella, and saw she looked confused. Suddenly I realized that Bella had no idea I could play. She didn't even know that I was going to college for music. I smiled. Tonight was the perfect night to show her what I'd been working on.

"Play?" she asked. I grinned, took her hand, and led her over to the piano. Her eyes widened. "You can play the piano?" she asked. I nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It just slipped my mind." I said. She frowned at me.

"But music is important to you." She said. I nodded.

"Don't worry, it's nothing personal. It just never came up." I said.

"What about when we were talking about college. I'm assuming that's what you're going to school for." She said. I sighed.

"Yes. But really, I wasn't keeping it from you." I said. She still didn't look happy. "Just listen." I said. I tugged her down on the bench with me.

She sat, but was still frowning. I flexed my fingers, and then laid them lightly over the keys. Then I began to play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, which I knew was a favorite of Bella's. I saw her smile, and lean against my shoulder.

"It's beautiful." She whispered. "You realize now you're going to have to play for me all the time." She said. I grinned at her.

"Whenever you want." I promised.

When the song was done, everyone clapped. I turned and faced Bella. "There's one more I want to show you." I said. She titled her head in confusion, but waited for me to begin. I brought the song I wanted to play into my mind, and let it fill me. The notes echoed in my thoughts, and I smiled. I hoped she'd like it. Then I started to play. The notes flowed out into the room, slow and sweet. I heard Bella's gasp. "This is one of the songs, on the CD in your car. You wrote this?" She asked. I nodded. She sat there, and listened intently. Then I saw her eyes fill with tears.

BPOV

The song, it was so beautiful. And the thought that Edward had written it made my heart ache. Tears filled my eyes, and I closed them to keep them from spilling over. When the song came to an end, I took a shaky breath. "Are you okay?" Edward asked. I nodded.

"That was incredible." I whispered. I glanced around, and noticed everyone had slipped quietly out of the room. "When did you write it?" I asked. Edward took my hand gently in his.

"A little while after I met you. The night after the first time you stayed in my apartment." He said. He paused. "I wrote it for you." He whispered. I looked at him, and couldn't say anything for a moment. "It's a lullaby." He murmured. My emotions got the better of me. I threw my arms around him, and held him tight.

"I love you, Edward. So much." I murmured. He turned his face into my neck, and brushed his mouth over my skin.

"I love you, too." He replied. We stayed that way for several minutes, before Edward pulled back gently to kiss me. "Come on, it's almost midnight. We don't want to miss the fireworks." He said. I nodded, and we held hands as we walked back into the living room.

Alice bounced forward to greet us. "Come on guys! You're just in time. Sixty seconds to a New Year!" she said excitedly. She tugged Edward and I over to the T.V, where Times Squares was on. They started the countdown, and we all joined in. At ten seconds to midnight, Edward looked down at me.

"I love you." He murmured.

"I love you too." I whispered. He bent down and kissed me, just as the New Year began. He held me close as his mouth did magical things to mine. When he pulled away, there were party poppers (Emmet) going off, confetti (Alice) flying in the air, and laughter and fireworks ringing out through the room. I laughed, and then grinned at Edward. "You totally timed that on purpose." I said. He grinned back at me.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said. I just shook my head, and took in the New Year.

**Ending Note:** Okay, I am SOOOO sorry that this chapter took so long to get out. I have been so busy with big school projects, and then finals, and then various types of drama, so I've been CRAZY busy. But, I'm writing the next chapter as we speak, and I'll upload it later today. I swear! It's going to be the Valentine's Day chapter, so stuffs gonna happen! ; ) Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!!! Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	15. The Perfect Valentine's Day Ch 15

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone! I am soooo sorry I've been taking so long to get the chapters out. I've been having a heck of a time finding the time. Anyways, here's the Valentine's Day chapter! I hope you like it! ; )

**The Perfect Valentine's Day**

Two days after the New Year's Eve party, we all packed up to go home. There were a lot of hugs, exchanging of numbers, promises to stay in touch, and promises to come back and visit soon. For most of the drive back, I slept. I was just so tired. Then, for the next four weeks, everything just exploded. I had finals, papers due, work, and bills to take care of. Edward was busy too, and there was hardly any time for us to just be together. The only time we really got to just talk, was in the morning when he called to wake me up, and at night when his voice helped me fall asleep. I had taken to asking him to hum the tune to my lullaby for me. It always seemed to help me sleep.

Then finally, I got some time off. I had a four day weekend, just to relax. Friday was my last day to work, and then I was home free. I was so excited; I was getting even more distracted and klutzy at work. Angela commented on it. "Bella, what's up? You've been distracted all day. And if you're about to put salt in that coffee." She said. I jerked, and immediately put down the salt shaker. I smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Ange. It's just, this past month and a half, I've been _so_ busy, that I haven't had any time to spend with Edward. And now, I finally have a four day weekend. I just want today to be over so I can get out of here." I said, fidgeting for the millionth time that day. Ange smiled.

"You are _so_ love sick." She said. I grinned.

"I know it." I said. She just laughed.

When my shift was finally over, I hung up my apron, and said goodbye to Angela. Just as I left the employee's lounge and headed to the front door, I saw Edward. I blinked in surprise. "Edward? Hey!" I ran over and gave him a jumping hug. Then I gave him a kiss. Edward laughed.

"Hello, beautiful. Miss me?" he asked. I grinned.

"Nope. Not at all." I said. He laughed. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I have a surprise for you." He said. I frowned.

"What kind of surprise?" I asked. He smiled, and smoothed the pucker between my brows.

"Don't worry so much." He said. I smiled.

"But worrying is what I do best." I said. He laughed, and kissed me softly.

"Just trust me." He said. I sighed, and laced my fingers with his.

"Fine." I said. He laughed, and tugged me outside.

His care was in the parking lot, and we both got in. He put in my favorite CD, the one with all his compositions on it. He was so cheating. He knew that I couldn't stay worried when I listened to his music. I sighed, and leaned back in my seat. Edward raised our joined hands to his lips. I smiled at him. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Mmm." I mumbled. I'd been working so much lately, and I was so tired. The music was soothing, as was the feeling of Edward's hand holding mine. I sighed, and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

When I woke up, I felt groggy, and a little disoriented. Where was I? I looked around, and it clicked. Oh right. Edward's car. I glanced at my watch, and squeaked in surprise. Two hours?! How could I have been asleep for two hours? I looked around, and saw that we were nowhere near my house. It looked like we were somewhere near the coast. What the heck was going on? Edward wasn't in the car.

I heard the trunk slam, and I jumped. Edward opened my door. "Hey there, beautiful." He said, kissing me softly.

"Edward, what's going on?" I asked. He smiled, and pulled me out of the car gently. He put his hands over my eyes. "Edward!" I said, laughing.

"Just trust me." He said. He turned me around, keeping his hands over my eyes, and shuffled us forward slowly. "Now, as you know, we've both been working really hard lately." He said.

"Uh huh."

"And we haven't had any time to ourselves."

"Right."

"And we've been going out of our minds for some space." He said.

"Edward, where is this conversation going?" I laughed.

"Here." He said. He took his hands away, and I gasped at what I saw.

It was a cottage. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It was white, with brown trim, and it saw cozy and quaint on the cliffs. There were gardens surrounding the house, the buds of flowers just beginning to appear. I couldn't seem to pry my eyes away from it. "Oh, Edward. It's, it's beautiful!" I whispered. "What is all this for?" I asked.

"Like I said, for time alone." He said. Then he kissed my neck, and I felt his lips curve against my skin. "Happy Valentine's Day." He said. I blinked. Oh my god. I'd completely forgotten! I smiled, and leaned back against his chest.

"It couldn't be more perfect. It's like something out of a fairytale." I said.

"And it's all ours. For four days, it'll just be you and me." He said. He turned me around gently so I was facing him. "You and me." He repeated. The look in his eyes – the heat, the love – said it all. I nodded.

"I'm ready." I murmured. He smiled, and picked up our bags. Wait, bags? When I looked at the luggage questioningly, Edward laughed. "Alice and Rose." He said. I laughed too. I should have known they'd be in on this.

Inside the cottage was even more perfect. The floor was a quilt of flat stones, the low ceiling had long wood beams, the walls were wood in some places, and stone mosaics in others. None of the furniture matched, but it seemed to go together none the less, there were countless books in beautiful shelves, the furniture was all overstuffed and comfortable looking. Light streamed in through the glass windows, and made the house simply glow. "It's perfect." I said, looking at Edward. He smiled.

"I'm glad." He said. He took my head, and led me into the bedroom. I gasped for what seemed to be the millionth time that day.

There was a big four poster bed, made of gleaming, dark wood. The comforter was beautiful, and the color of butterscotch. There were flowers scattered around the room in vases, and candles on most of the available flat surfaces. Then to the left there were two big double doors leading out to the cliffs. "Wow." I murmured. Edward dropped our bags, and held me close.

"I wanted it to be perfect." He said, kissing my neck. I shivered.

"You succeeded." I replied. I felt his lips curve against my skin.

"Good." He said. "I imagine you'd like to freshen up, after falling asleep in the car for so long." I sighed in relief.

"Yes, very much." I said. He smiled.

"Go ahead. I'm going to get dinner started." He said. I blinked.

"You can cook?" I asked. Edward rolled his eyes.

"Yes Bella, I can cook. My mother believes that everyone should be able to cook at least one meal for each part of the day." He said.

"What are you specialties?" I asked. He grinned.

"You'll see." He said. He gave me a little nudge towards the bathroom. "Go ahead and take a bath if you want. Dinner will take a while." He said. I smiled. A bath sounded heavenly.

"Okay. See you in a bit." I said.

EPOV

After Bella was safely tucked away in the bathroom, I headed to the kitchen to start cooking. My dinner specialty was seafood linguine, with salad and garlic bread. I knew Bella liked seafood, so it was perfect. I had already gotten all the ingredients and put them in the fridge in advance, so I pulled them out, and set them on the counter. I put water on to boil for pasta, and started chopping the lettuce for the salad.

When I had a free moment, I dashed quickly into the bedroom to change. I didn't want to change before; I was worried I'd get food on my nice clothing. I changed into a simple pair of black slacks, a white long sleeve button up, a black blazer, and smiled as I slipped on the watch Bella had given me for Christmas. Then I headed back into the kitchen to finish up the cooking.

Just when all the food was cooked, I heard the water draining in the bathtub. Good, I had just enough time for the finishing touches. I put the pasta the good china, poured the sauce over it, put the salad in the bowls next to the plates, and put out the silver wear. I then lit the two slim candles on the table, and put a single red rose in the middle of the table.

When everything was perfect, I turned and stood by the table and waited for Bella to come out. The door to the bedroom opened, and I bit back a groan when I saw her. I knew of course she was beautiful, but I was completely unprepared for the goddess that stepped out into the candle light…

BPOV

The bath _was_ heavenly. I filled the wonderfully deep, claw footed tub with warm water. There was even jasmine scented bubble bath that I could use. I stripped off my clothes, and slipped into the deliciously smooth hot water. I soaked in the tub for a long time, letting all the tension slip out of me. Then I shaved my legs, and washed my hair. I felt feminine, warm, and sexy. I smiled, and smoothed lotion over my skin. It was jasmine scented as well, and felt wonderful. Then I started in on my hair and makeup. I want to look my best.

I wrapped the deep blue robe I'd grabbed from the bag Alice and Rose packed me, and went into the bedroom. I grabbed the makeup bag and went back into the bathroom. I swiped mascara over my lashes, smoky shadow over my lids, and subtle plum lipstick over my lips. I completely ignored the blush, knowing I'd be doing enough of that on my own. I put in the special hair condition that Rose got me, that would bring out the curl in my wavy hair. Then I put on the necklace Edward had given me for Christmas. I smiled, and went back into the bedroom to select clothing.

I stared down at the bag on the bed, and wondered what I would wear. I opened it up, and found a note on top. What the –? I picked it up, and smiled as I read it.

_Bella, _

_We thought you could use a little help. : ) So we packed you a little something extra, in hopes that your night will be the best it could be. Wear the dress, and the underwear. And for goodness sake, DON'T BE SHY!! It's all about confidence, sweet heart. And besides, you know Edward will treat you right. So don't be embarrassed. This is the most natural thing in the world, okay? Anyways, we love you! And we expect details when you get home. ; ) Have fun!_

_Alice and Rosalie. _

I laughed when I was finished reading. Oh my goodness. They were truly the two amazing friends a girl could ever ask for. I looked in the bag, and found a garment bag. I pulled it out, hung it up, and unzipped it. I gasped, and then smiled. I ran my fingertips reverently over the fabric. It was red. Deep, dark red and satin. It was a halter, with a v-neck, that was tight to the waist, then fell in a full swirling skirt around my calves. It was kind of like a red Marylyn Monroe dress. It was beautiful, and perfect.

Underneath the dress, was the most provocative underwear I'd ever owned in my life. Alice and Rosalie had physically forced me to buy it four years ago when I'd turned eighteen. They called it 'special occasion' underwear. I'd never been brave enough to wear it before. It was a black silk and lace set. The bra was a pushup, the v-ed down low over the breasts, with a little jewel just in the center. The underwear was nothing more than a little swatch of silk and lace, that v-ed high over my hips. I bit my lip. Well, here goes nothing.

I slipped on the underwear, and tried to steady my hands. Then I put the dress on, and couldn't help but sigh at the cool feeling of satin sliding over my skin. I then put on some gold bangles and dangle earrings to go with the red dress. After slipping on the gold strappy heels Alice and Rose had packed, I was ready. I took one last look in the mirror, and made sure the back of the bra wasn't showing above the dress. It wasn't. I took a deep breath, and headed out of bedroom, and down the hall into the dining room.

EPOV

I heard the soft click of heels, and smiled. Alice and Rose must have packed those for her. But my smile slipped away when I saw her, and I nearly choked on my tongue. She was in a red satin dress that clung lovingly to her, torso, then swirled around mile long legs. It dipped in the front, and tied around her neck. As always, she wore the necklace I gave her, as well as gold bracelets and earrings that matched the tone of the stilettos she wore. She was perfect.

Bella smiled nervously at me. "Well?" she asked, doing a slow turn. When she faced me again, I took her face in my hands.

"Exquisite." I murmured as I kissed her. She sighed against my mouth.

"You look pretty great, too." She said. I smiled, and pulled away.

"Shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards the table. Her eyes widened.

"Oh my. Edward, this is amazing!" she said. I smiled.

"I'm glad you like it." I said. I pulled out a chair for her, and she sat down.

After taking a bite, Bella's eyes closed. "Mmm. This is really good." She said. I struggled to remember she was talking about the food.

"I'm glad." I said. She was quiet for most of the meal, but her eyes kept smiling at me. I held her hand, and tried to stay calm.

"Edward?" she called. I looked up.

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad we came here." She said softly. I smiled.

"So am I." I raised her hand to my lips, and Bella smiled.

When we were finished eating, we took the dishes into the kitchen, and cleaned up together. As we did, Bella bumped her shoulder with mine as smiled. "The only thing that's saving you from a water fight is I don't want to ruin your nice clothes." She said. I laughed.

"Feeling a little feisty are we?" I asked. She laughed.

"Maybe." She looked at me, getting serious again. "It's almost strange how easy it is to be comfortable with you. Whenever I get nervous about…" she drifted off, and I knew what she was talking about. "I just remember… it's you. And you'd never hurt me." She said. I dried off my hands, and then touched her cheek.

"No. I wouldn't." I murmured. She smiled.

Once the dishes were done, Bella glanced towards the bedroom. But I steered her into the living room. She looked confused, but followed me anyways. I turned on some music, and Bella smiled. I held out my hand to her, and she laughed. Bella took my hand, and I pulled her close. She rested her head on my shoulder, as we turned and swayed to the music. She sighed in contentment.

BPOV

There couldn't have been a more perfect moment. Edward's arms were so strong, but felt so gentle wrapped around me. The music floated on the air, and my mood floated with it. It was so perfect. I looked up at him, and saw nothing but love in his eyes. I touched his cheek, and kissed him lightly. One brush, two brushes of lips. "Edward." I murmured. He held me tighter, and pressed his mouth more firmly to mine. His hands brushed at the bare skin of my back. I shivered. "Edward, make love with me." I said. He pulled away, and simply stared for a moment. Then he swept me up in his arms, and carried me into the bedroom…

**Ending Note**: Yay! Cliffy! Lol. Sri again this took so long. I've been hecka busy. Anyways, thanks again to everyone who's been faving and reviewing! You all rock! Beware; the next chapter shall be very lemony. So if you're the conservative type, you've been warned!! Lol. More favs and reviews always welcome! Peace!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	16. First and Forever Love Ch 16

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey peoples. Sorry this chapter has been taking so long to get out. I've been having major writer's block and writer's ADD. For those of you who don't know, that's a term I've made up to describe when you get distracted with writing other stories. So, sorry. I hope you like this chapter! **BEWARE!!! MAJOR LEMONY GOODNESS IN THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!!**

**First and Forever Love**

When we got into the bedroom, Edward set me gently on my feet. He kissed me gently, his hands cupping my face. "Give me a moment." He said. He went to the little fireplace, and set the waiting kindling to flame. Golden flames danced in the hearth, and the room felt gently warm. He went around the room, and lit a few candles. The music he'd turned on in the living room drifted in, filling the room with soft, gentle notes, sweet as wine. When he looked at me, the only sensation I could grasp at was warmth. It was in his eyes, in his smile, in the room. He walked towards me again, and wrapped his arms around me gently. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it might simply burst from my chest. His hands were so gentle, his mouth was so patient. He pulled me gently over to the bed, and pulled away to look at me. "Bella, there's something I need to ask you." He murmured.

"Now?" I asked. He nodded.

"I know we've only been dating for a few months, but I've known you all my life, whether I was aware of it or not. And believe me when I say that these past months have been the most amazing of my entire life. I'm deeply in love with you, and I brought you here to ask you something." He said. Oh my god. If I thought my pulse was hammering before, it was simply flying now.

Edward sat me down on the bed, and then got down on one knee before me. "Oh my god." I whispered. Edward grinned his crooked grin, and kissed my hand.

"Breathe, Bella." He said. I took a deep breath. He pulled a small black velvet box. My eyes widened, and my breath hitched again. "Bella, I'm fairly certain I know you well enough to know that you don't want to get married until you're finished with college. So this isn't a marriage proposal, but you should know that I consider it to be just as serious, and just as binding." He said. He opened the box, and inside was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. It was simple, and elegant, and _mine_.

The ring was three simple stones set in a silver setting. The center stone was a vivid sapphire, and the two smaller stones on either side were diamonds. I pressed my hand to my mouth. "Oh, Edward." I murmured. Tears made my vision shimmer.

"This ring symbolizes a promise. A promise to one day make you my wife. Bella, will you accept my promise?" he asked. His eyes were vividly green, and soft as summer moss.

"Yes. Oh my god, yes!" I cried. I threw my arms around him, and he lifted me clear off my feet to spin me around in an impromptu dance.

He stopped, and set me on my feet. He buried his nose in my neck, and inhaled deeply. "You have no idea how happy I feel right now." He said. I smiled.

"I think I have an idea." I said. I pulled back, and framed his face with my hands. "I love you, Edward." I whispered. He smiled, and kissed me.

"I love you, Bella." He said against my mouth. I laughed, and pulled away to smile at him. He took my hand, and slipped the ring onto my left ring finger. "A promise." He repeated. He rested his brow against mine. "One day, I'll make you mine forever. My first and forever love." He murmured. My heart did a long, slow twirl.

I leaned up on my toes, and kissed him. All the love and passion I held in my heart for him simply burst from me, and I deepened the kiss. Tongues slid, tangled, danced; mouths met, brushed, teased. Edward's arm came around me like iron vices, and held me to his long, hard body. I fisted my fingers in his hair, and sighed against his mouth.

Edward started walking back towards the bed. When we reached the edge, he pulled away. His hands slid up my back to the tie at the back of my neck. With one smooth tug, it came undone. My heart beat skittered as my dress slid soundlessly to the floor. When it pooled at my feet, Edward stood back and simply stared for several long moments. His eyes traveled up and down the length of my body, and they were so heated he might as well have been touching me directly. I trembled.

Suddenly Edward was pulling me hard against him, and nipping a line of kisses down my neck. "You're trying to give me a heart attack, aren't you?" he asked. I laughed breathlessly.

"Not at all." It was all I got out before his mouth was crashing onto mine again. His hands were hot on my skin as he gripped my arms, and pushed me back to the bed. I sat down hard on the mattress, and pulled away to work on Edward's shirt.

My fingers were shaking as I tugged the buttons free. I wanted to touch, I _needed_ to touch. When his shirt was finally off, I let out a breath of relief as I rubbed my hands over his chest. I had the satisfaction of feeling his muscles shudder beneath my palms. Edward made a sound that sounded similar to a growl, and kissed me. His tongue traced the seam of my lips, and I parted them on a moan. When his taste filled my mouth, I gripped his shoulders for balance.

Edward pushed me gently down onto the bed, and then he was on top of me. He held himself on his arms to keep his weight off me, and his mouth cruised down my face to nibble on my neck. His tongue slid over my skin, making me moan. His hand cupped my breast gently, and I arched my back. "Edward," I murmured. "More." His thoughts seemed to be running along the same lines. His clever fingers flicked open my bra, and then tossed it aside. The sensation of his hands against my bare skin felt like fireworks.

My own hands ran up and down his back, enjoying the way the muscles bunched beneath my fingertips. My lips went to his neck to taste the salt and spice flavor of his skin. I arched my back as his mouth closed over me. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I moaned. God… Who knew it could be like this? Love tangled with passion, passion tangled with need, and need tangled and fogged the mind. Who knew that there was this side of love, this wonderful, warm, coming together of two people with no thought in the mind besides each other? I tugged him back up gently for a long, drugging kiss that seemed to spin out forever. Breath and moans mingled, skin slid over skin, and time simply stopped.

Edward's fingertips skimmed down my waist, and murmured against my mouth. "Bella…" it was a question. I already knew the answer.

"Yes." I replied simply. Edward held himself up on his arms, and kissed me again.

"I won't hurt you. You have to tell me." He said.

"I will." I murmured. Edward nodded, and cupped my face lightly.

When he slowly slipped inside me, I tensed. Dear god…. I felt him stretching me in a tortuous kind of pleasure pain. I moaned, and arched my hips. Edward began filling me again, and again, and I dug my fingers into his shoulders, desperately trying to hold on to something solid. Passion took on a sharper, desperate edge, There was a ball of liquid fire burning in my core, and with each breath I took it grew bigger. I felt myself stretching desperately to accommodate him, and then the brief lightning flash of pain as I was stripped of my innocence. And then there was nothing but pleasure. Still the burning grew. It felt like fire filled my veins – my skin was slick with sweat, every nerve ending was alive with electricity, and it felt like every sensation was intensified by a hundred.

Finally, when I thought I could take it no longer, something inside me simply burst, and I cried out as my muscles tensed, and my back arched violently. "Edward!" I gasped. My eyes flew open for an instant, and I lost myself in that vivid green of his eyes. Then we were both flying endlessly into oblivion, and stars danced in front of my eyes.

I collapsed onto the bed, all my muscles going completely pliant. Edward was still on top of me, his head resting on my chest. We were both breathing heavily, our skin slick, my hair was tangled, and his was sticking to his forehead. My eyelids were heavy, and the air in my lungs felt thick. I glanced around the room, the candles flickering, the flames dancing in the fireplace. The light glinted in Edward's hair, and really brought out the bronze in it. A tenderness I hadn't known I could feel swept over me, and settled around me like a warm, thick, blanket.

I leaned down and kissed Edward's hair. He sighed, and turned his head to kiss my collarbone lightly. "Are you alright?" he asked. I smiled. Of course that would be the first thing he asked.

"I'm fine."

"You're not sorry?" he asked quietly. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Do I look sorry to you?" I demanded. Edward grinned, and shook his head.

"Not a bit. In fact, you look kind of… smug." He said. I laughed, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"It makes sense, since I certainly feel smug. And how about you? Are you sorry?" I asked.

"Never. I could never feel sorry about this." He murmured. I smiled.

"Good." I sighed. I bit back a chuckle. "Edward?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Not that I mind a good snuggle, but could we perhaps try this with me on top? You're not exactly a featherweight." I said. Edward chuckled, and rolled smoothly. I sighed, and breathed easily again. "Much better." I said.

For several minutes, we simply laid there like that, Edward running his fingers lightly through my hair, my head resting on his chest. Already I could feel my eyelids drifting shut, my muscles going pliant as wax. Edward sighed, and gently shifted my off of him. I groaned in protest. He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll be right back." He said. I heard him leave for a moment, and when he came back I opened my eyes. He was wearing boxers, and he had a plain black tee shirt in his hand. "Put this on, love." He said. He helped me tug it on, and then he crawled back into bed with me. I sighed, and rested my head on his chest.

"I love you." I murmured.

"I love you, too." He said. I was asleep within seconds.

EPOV

The next morning I woke up, with Bella sprawled over me as usual. She couldn't seem to figure out how to sleep in the same bed as me with sleeping on me. I didn't mind it though. I smiled, and stroked her hair gently. Her face was utterly relaxed in sleep, a small smile playing with the soft lines of her mouth. I wondered what it was she dreamed of that made her smile like that, and if it me. I kissed her softly, and she immediately stirred. I grinned. I loved that about her – her responsiveness.

Bella sighed, and stretched. The tee shirt I'd given her slid up her thighs, and I groaned. Images of last night flew into my mind, and the same desire for her that had pounded through me then, burned me alive now. I leaned down and nipped at her neck, savoring the sweet flavor of her skin. She smiled. "Morning." She said, her voice husky with sleep. I made a sound in response, having temporarily lost most of my abilities for intelligent speech. She laughed, and braided her fingers into my hair as I nibbled on her ear. "That's all I get?" She asked. "No hi, how are you, good morning?" she asked. I pulled back and looked at her.

"Hi." I said. She smiled smugly.

"Hello. What are we doing today?" she asked. I grinned.

"I think we should take a shower." I said. She grinned back, her smile just a bit wicked.

"Oh? And what would we be doing in the shower? Singing?" she asked, feigning innocence. I laughed, and picked her up off the bed.

"Maybe later."

After playing in the shower like children, then making love for the second time, we were both wide awake, and ravenous. I went into the kitchen, wearing nothing but my jeans, and rifled through the cupboards for something to make for breakfast… well, brunch. I decided that pancakes would be easiest. I pulled out the ingredients I needed, and started in.

Bella walked in when I was just slipping the first two onto a plate. "Mmm, smells good." She said. I smiled, and turned to look at her. My greeting got stuck in my throat. Her hair was dry, and tumbling around her in sexy curls, she was wearing a black tee shirt that clung to her curves and proclaimed 'Bite Me' across the chest, and a pair of low rider jeans that revealed a strip of silvery skin at her abdomen and had a rip in the knee. She walked over and jumped up on the counter, looking at me expectantly.

When I didn't say anything, she frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"What on earth are you wearing?" I asked. She looked down at herself.

"What? These are my lounging clothes. Alice doesn't let me wear them in public." She said, rolling her eyes but smiling. "What's wrong with it?" she asked.

"What's wrong with it? Nothing, other than the fact that it makes me want to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back to bed." I said. She blinked at me then smiled.

"You're one to talk. Forget something when you were getting dressed?" she asked, looking down at my bare chest. I shrugged.

"I suppose. To be honest, I was just being lazy. And I really wanted food." I said, grinning. Bella laughed, and crooked her finger at me. I walked forward so that I was standing between her legs. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and rested her forehead against mine.

"You have no idea how happy this all makes me. I wish we could stay here, just right here forever." She said. I smiled, and kissed her softly.

"Me too." I said. She sighed, and deepened the kiss. After several moments, I chuckled. "Bella, I have to finish breakfast." I said. She sighed, and pulled away.

"Fine. I'm starving anyways." She said. I smiled, and went back to cooking pancakes. Bella sat down at the dining room table and waited patiently for me to finish cooking.

When I turned around from the stove with the plate of pancakes in my hand, Bella was staring at her left hand. More specifically she was staring at the ring I'd given her last night. My heart tightened painfully. Was she having second thoughts? "Bella? Is something wrong?" I asked nervously. She didn't look up at me.

"No. It's just that it looks… right there." She said. I instantly relaxed, and my heart swelled with love and joy.

"I'm glad." I said. I set the plate down, and the kissed each of her fingers, and then the ring on her finger. "I meant what I said, Bella. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, forever and ever. If I have to wait a few more months until you graduate to ask you, then so be it. But I will make you my wife one day." I said. She smiled, her eyes tearing up. I wiped the tears away gently, and she sighed.

"I want to be your wife one day, Edward. I want to know that every morning I'll wake up, and you'll be right there next to me." She said. I smiled.

"One day." I repeated. "One day soon." She nodded, and her eyes were determined. I wanted to ask her what she was going to tell her mother, but shut my mouth. I didn't want to spoil this.

We both sat down and dug into the pancakes. Bella sighed happily. "These are really good." She said. Then she grinned wickedly. "But your mom makes better." She said. I laughed.

"I'd be insulted, but you're absolutely right." I said. She laughed, and sighed again.

"I love your family." She said. I smiled.

"I'm glad." I said. Her expression clouded suddenly.

"I don't know what I'm going to tell my mother." She said. I winced. And here I thought I'd avoided this subject.

"I don't know, Bella. I just still can't understand why you won't tell her. Doesn't she want you to be happy?" I asked. Bella looked appalled.

"Of course she wants me to be happy. She's my mother, isn't she? She doesn't understand that I can be happy and married at the same time. If I told my mother about you right now, she would say that I was too young, that I should wait until I'm older, and many, many other things. If that didn't work, she would say that you were pressuring me to get married, and that I should do what I want, not what others want. She wouldn't understand that this _is_ what I want." She said, sounding defiant. Then she relaxed, and looked a little weary. "Please, just let me think. I'm hoping I'll find a solution soon. Just, not now, okay?" she asked. I sighed, and nodded. I took her hand in mine.

"I'll wait. It's just… I want you to be happy. And this seems to be making so _un_happy." I said. Bella smiled.

"It's not this that makes me unhappy. It's the fact that my mother won't be able to see what a wonderful man you are, and how much you love me. That's what makes me unhappy." She said. I smiled, and leaned over to kiss her.

"I do love you." I said. She sighed.

"I know."

**Ending Note**: Hey everyone. Once again, soooo sorry that this chapter took so long for me to get out. I've been very busy, and this particular chapter was giving me trouble. I just couldn't seem to sit down and write it like I usually am. But hopefully the writer's block is over. Yay! Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed and faved. You rock! Reviews always welcome. :D Peace!!!! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~~


	17. Feels Like A Fairytale Ch 17

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey everyone. I hope you like this chapter! I'm trying to make the chapters a little longer, so yeah. Anyways, hope you enjoy! XD

**Feels Like A Fairytale**

That weekend was the best two days I'd ever spent. Edward and I laughed, lazed, and loved all day and into the night, and spent the whole time just being. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. If you haven't had the enormous pleasure of this experience, you're seriously missing out. When I looked at him, I knew I had nothing to worry about. It was like he could keep everything bad away… no, better – he could make it disappear. So for two days I forgot about everything but loving Edward.

When we started putting the bags into the trunk, I felt a dull little tug at my heart. I looked back at the cottage that had been my sanctuary for the past forty eight hours, and felt sad that we were leaving. I'd miss it. It felt so safe, so welcoming. I turned to Edward. "Promise we'll come back here." I said. He turned and smiled at me.

"You'll miss it too, huh?" he asked. I smiled, and nodded. He laughed, and kissed my forehead softly. "I promise. We'll come back." He said. I believed him.

In the car, I thought about how far Edward and I had come in the past few months, or even just the past two days. I'd given my body for the first time to the man I loved, and in return he'd promised to make me his wife one day. If that didn't give you one hell of a glow, I didn't know what would. So for most of the car ride, I did nothing but smile. And while I was sad to leave the little cottage on the side of the sea, I was missing Alice and Rose, and it would be good to see them again.

I watched the coast slide by me, and I wondered how long we'd wait until we got engaged for real. I would be graduating in the fall, right after my birthday, and that was about seven months away. Would he propose right after, or wait until things settled a little? It was nice to wonder, to fantasize. Edward was always surprising me, and I was wondering what he had in store for one of the biggest steps in our lives.

My heart skittered. Marriage. God. Spending the rest of my life with Edward. I looked over at him, and studied his profile. His forever tousled bronze hair fell across his forehead, and nearly obscured my view of his gorgeous green eyes. He looked lost in thought as he had one hand on the wheel, and the other gently holding my hand. He seemed to sense my gaze, and looked over at me. He smiled, and kissed my hand before returning his eyes to the road. I let out a shaky breath. Yes, I could spend the rest of my life with him. Easily. It was always so easy with him. There were never any doubts, never any shadows. There was just light, and love.

I nearly laughed at myself. God I sounded so unbelievably lovesick. It was amazing how much love could change you. It changed how you looked at things, how you looked at yourself. I sighed, and settled back into the seat to enjoy the ride. That was all I planned to do. Just enjoy the ride…

When we pulled into my apartment complex, I grabbed the bags out of the trunk myself. Then I turned to Edward. "I don't want to be rude, but I'd kinda like to go up there alone. We haven't seen much of each other the last few weeks, and I'd like to thank them for everything." I said. Edward smiled.

"I understand. Girl talk." He said. I laughed.

"Yes. Lots and lots of girl talk." He laughed, and kissed me tenderly.

"You have fun with that."

"Don't worry, I will. I love you."

"Love you too." He got back in his car, and drove away. I waved until he was gone. I sighed happily, and turned towards the apartment. I knew that Alice and Rose would be waiting up there for me, waiting for the right moment to pounce. I wondered if I'd make it through the door this time.

I lugged the luggage up the stairs, and unlocked the door. I held my breath, and swung it open. So far so good. Alice and Rose weren't waiting just inside the door, so I continued into the apartment. Still no one. "Hello?" I called. No response. Huh. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe they weren't back from their own Valentine's Day holidays. I shrugged, and went through the open door to my bedroom. I set the bag on my bed, and heard the door shut behind me. Just as I was about to jump out of my skin, Alice and Rose jumped me and I landed on the bed.

"ARGH! Alice! Rose! I MUST BREATHE!!" I gasped. Alice and Rose giggled hysterically.

"Did we scare you?" They asked eagerly. I glared at them.

"Yes! Congratulations." I grumbled. They laughed, and let me up.

"You know you love it." Alice said. I laughed.

"Yeah. So, couch time?" I asked.

"Damn straight!" Rose said. "Hurry up and change. We'll get the champagne and chocolate." She said. Alice and Rose danced out of the room, and I laughed. They truly were great friends.

I changed into my favorite pair of sweats, and a tee shirt I'd snagged from Edward. I pulled the neck over my nose, and inhaled. It still smelled like him. I smiled, and slipped my slippers over my feet, then headed into the living room. The couches were prepared with blankets, pillows, and champagne along with glasses and chocolates were sitting on the table, ready to be tasted. Alice and Rose were whispering excitedly on the couch, and smiled as I walked in.

I sat down on the loveseat, and took a glass of champagne. I sipped at it experimentally. "It's good. Expensive." I said. Rose smiled.

"A gift, from Emmet." She said wistfully. I laughed. He was really getting to know her tastes.

"I take it your Valentine's Day went well?" I asked. She grinned.

"You have no idea." She said.

"So tell me. Why don't you go first?" I asked. She looked at Alice, who nodded.

"Alright. So, first Alice and I packed your bag, but we'll get to that later." She said, throwing a wink my way. I resisted the urge to flush as Rose continued. "Anyways, Emmet had called and said he was going to pick me up for our date. So I got ready, and was feeling pretty sexy by the time he showed up. I had no idea where we were going, because he stubbornly wouldn't tell me, which was actually kind of sweet. He came to the door, dressed in a suit, looking so handsome. He just smiled, and held out his arm for me. I was kind of confused, but I took it. And when we got downstairs…" she sighed wistfully. "There was a limo." She said. I blinked.

"A limo?" She nodded.

"Yeah. I had the same reaction. Em just laughed, and nudged me inside the car. We sipped champagne in the back seat, and then we went to the Marriot." I gulped. Jesus. Emmet sure knew Rose inside and out. "We had the most amazing dinner. We talked, and laughed, and through the whole meal… he held my hand." She said quietly. Oh shoot. My eyes got a little misty.

"Wow. That's… that's so cute!" I sniffled. Rose nodded, and I saw both she and Alice were getting plenty teary eyed themselves.

"Yes. I was so happy I could have just burst. And then… oh goodness." She tried to get control of her emotions. "Then he… he got down on one knee." I gasped. "He pulled a little black velvet box out of his pocket, and he said… Jesus I hate crying!" she cried. I laughed.

"Come on! What did he say!" Alice demanded.

"He said that he had never met a girl like me. That I was the other, better half of who he was. He said he wanted to spend the rest of his life making me happy. He asked me to marry him." Alice and I immediately pounced on her, squealing delightedly.

"OH MY GOD!" We all screamed. "You're getting married!!!" Rose laughed.

"I know. It's so unreal. I never thought I'd ever find someone I love as much as I love Emmet." She said.

"Well? Where the hell is the ring?" I demanded. Rose laughed.

"Oh! Hang on a sec. I didn't want to wear it and give it away." She dashed into her room, and came back a few seconds later, her left hand behind her back.

"Don't leave us in suspense you evil woman! Show us!" Alice demanded. Rose grinned, and brought her hand in front of her. We all gasped.

On her left finger was the most amazing ring ever. It was a princess cut diamond, set in a silver setting, with tiny diamonds surrounding the center one. It was gorgeous, and very Rosalie. "Oh my god. That's gotta be at least two carats." Alice whispered. Rose nodded.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she said dreamily. Alice and I nodded in harmony, looking dazed. She collapsed back on the couch. "This weekend has been the best of my life." She said. Then she looked at Alice. "You're next girly." She said. Alice nodded, smiling softly.

"Okay. Well, after packing up, Jazz came to pick me up. He drove me to the coast, and we spent hours just walking around, window shopping in all the antique stores. You know how I'm a sucker for those cute little shops." She said. Rose and I nodded. "Well, we were walking, and all of a sudden Jasper stopped. He was looking into a shop window, and I walked back to see what he was looking at. Inside the shop window was a display… Roses, candles, and a ring…" Rose and my eyes went wide. "There was a sing next to the display…. It said 'Marry me, Alice'". Alice cried happily. "He got down on one knee, and said that he'd love me forever. He said that he'd waited his whole life for me, and that there'd never been anyone he loved truly before me, and there wouldn't be anyone after. He said that he'd die if I said no."

Rose and I fumbled for the tissue box, and passed it around. "So of course I said yes." She said, laughing. Rose and I laughed too, and hugged her fiercely.

"There's no one better for you." I said. "He loves you so much." Alice nodded.

"I know." She said. She pulled her ring out of her pocket, and put it on. It was beautiful, and like Rose's ring, was perfect for her. It was a teardrop shaped diamond, with two smaller diamonds on either side. She slipped it on her finger, and we all looked at it and sighed.

"Are we lucky or what?" I asked. They nodded.

"Speaking of lucky, how'd your date go?" Rose asked, grinning. I sighed, and smiled.

"Perfect. More perfect than anything I've ever known." I said.

"Well come on, details." Alice said. I nodded.

"He picked me up from work, and we drove out to the coast. He'd rented the cutest little cottage, right there next to the sea. It was perfect. We went inside, and he said he'd cook while I took a shower. So I got ready, and that dress was perfect by the way." I said. They grinned.

"We knew it." They said. I laughed.

"So I got out there, and he had the table set with candles, and a rose, and the whole thing. We eat dinner, and didn't talk much. But we didn't have to. Afterwards, I thought we'd go straight to the bedroom." I muttered, blushing. "But he turned on music, and we danced in the living room." Alice and Rose sighed dreamily with me. "Then we kissed, and I forgot about dancing. He carried me into the bedroom, and…" I stopped to push back tears. "He set me on the bed, and got down on one knee. He said he knew that I wouldn't want to get married before I graduated, so he got me this." I said, holding out me left hand. "It's a promise ring. He said he takes it just as seriously. He promised to one day make me his wife." I murmured. Alice and Rose sighed.

"He so rocks." Rose said. Alice and I laughed.

"I second that." Alice said. I nodded.

"It was so amazing, knowing that he knew me that well." I said. Rose smiled slyly.

"I know you won't give details, but was the rest of it… how you imagined it would be?" she asked. I smiled.

"Better." I said. Alice hugged me.

"I'm so glad you finally found someone Bells. You've been alone for so long." She said.

"I haven't been alone. I've had you guys." I said.

"It's not the same though, and you know it." She said. I nodded.

"I know. And I'm glad too. It seems so surreal sometimes." I said. "I've known Edward all my life. He's always been there for me. If not physically, the memory of his memory has gotten me through a lot." I laughed. "It's like something out of a fairytale. I'm afraid I'll wake up one day and have it all be a dream." Alice pinched my hand. "Ouch! What was that for?" I asked. She grinned.

"To prove your awake." She said. I glared at her, but it was ruined by my smile.

"Evil little pixie." I said affectionately.

"And don't I know it." She laughed. We all laughed with her, and laid back onto the couch.

"How could we ever go back to the way things were after this? Face it girls – we are completely spoiled." Rose said. I laughed.

"True. But I can't seem to bring myself to care."

"Me too."

"Me three." We laughed, and laid there for a while. I hesitated.

"Should we tell…?" I asked. Rose looked at me.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your parents. Alice's parents." I said. Rose frowned.

"I don't know. I mean, I guess I should. But I don't know if they'll care." She said, her face going hard. I touched her hand.

"Of course they will." I said. "They have to." Rose shrugged. Alice didn't look particularly happy either.

"What about you, Bella? Renee doesn't even know you're dating, let alone engaged." She said.

"I'm not technically engaged yet." I said, avoiding the subject. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I still can't believe you're so afraid of telling her." She said.

"I'm a coward, so sue me." I said. "You've never been there during one of her rants. I don't want her to screw up my relationship with Edward." I said, my expression going dark. Alice frowned.

"What do you mean? Has she done that before?" she asked. I didn't answer. "Bella." She said, using her no nonsense tone. I sighed.

"Yes! Alright! Every time I brought home a guy, which wasn't often, she would find a way to pull us apart. I didn't tell anyone, because number one, Edward would say he could handle it, and you too would get pissed, like you are now." I said. Rose glared.

"I'm sorry. I just can't believe your mom would try to keep you from happiness like that. She just doesn't seem like that kind of person." She said. I shrugged.

"She's not. Not about everything else. But relationships she has trouble with. I don't think she ever got over leaving my dad." I said. "I think she might even regret it. Not that she'd ever admit it." I grumbled. Alice sighed.

"I'm sorry honey. I know this must be hard to talk about. You haven't told Edward?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No. I just keep making excuses for her, and dancing around the subject." I said.

"Maybe you should tell him. He'd understand then." Rose said. I shrugged.

"I don't know how it would help." I said.

"It wouldn't hurt either." Alice pointed out. I shrugged.

"I guess not. But still. I'd rather not think about it right now. I'd rather just enjoy this while it lasts. Then I'll figure out what to do with my mom." I said. Alice nodded.

"I think I like that idea. You know I'm not one to back down from a challenge, but I'd like to be blissfully happy for a while before I have to butt heads with my parents." She said. Rose nodded.

"I second that notion." She said. She lifted her glass in a toast. "To procrastination in the name of happiness." She said. I laughed.

"Here, here!" I said. We laughed, and drank. I sighed. To happiness….

EPOV

After dropping off Bella at her apartment, I headed home to my own. When I got there, Jasper and Emmet were outside my door, waiting to ambush me I presumed. I raised a brow. "Hello… what's up?" I asked. They grinned at me, and each one of them grabbed one of my arms and towed me into their apartment. "Hey! What the hell?" I demanded.

"Calm down, Eddie. We just want to talk with you." Emmet said. I glared at him.

"Emmet, you call me Eddie one more time, and so help me." I growled. Emmet laughed.

"Chill out, Edward." He said. I sighed, and allowed myself to be dragged into the living room. They dropped me onto the couch, then sat down too. "So…" Jasper began. "How'd it go?" he asked. I laughed, and rolled my eyes.

"It was the best weekend of my life." I said. They grinned.

"Excellent. Did you, ah… pop the question?" Emmet asked.

"No. I gave her a promise ring. Bella doesn't want to get married before she graduates." I explain.

"Oh. Well that makes sense. Was she happy?" Jasper asked, smiling. I grinned, and nodded.

"Ecstatic." I replied. "What about you two?" I asked. Jasper smiled.

"I proposed. Alice said yes." He said. I grinned, and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm happy for you. Alice is perfect for you." I said. Jazz grinned.

"Yeah. She really is." He said. We both looked at Emmet.

"Rose said yes." He said, grinning widely. We congratulated him, then went into the kitchen for some celebratory beer. Standing in the kitchen, we all looked at each other.

"We're gonna be married men not too long from now." Emmet said. I nodded.

"Yeah. It's a thrilling feeling, isn't it?" Emmet grinned.

"I couldn't imagine my life without Rose." He said. Jasper nodded.

"I second that. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago we were bachelors, sitting around playing video games on Friday nights." He said. Emmet and I both winced.

"That's an unpleasant and pathetic image." He grumbled. We laughed.

"Yeah. We've got to be the three luckiest men alive." I said. Jasper and Emmet agreed.

"So… do we tell the parents?" Emmet asked. I frowned.

"I'm going to tell my family, but then again they'd take it better than yours would." I said. Emmet and Jasper nodded, and sighed.

"I've got to tell my family." Jasper said. "They'd kill me if I didn't." he said. Emmet frowned unhappily.

"I guess I'll have to tell mine too. I don't think they'll care overly much." He said. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Mom will be thrilled for you." I said. He grinned, and so did Jasper.

"Yeah, there's always that." He said. I smiled.

"Should I call her now, or wait?" I asked. They thought about it.

"Maybe we should call the girls first." Jasper said. I nodded.

"Good idea." I said.

I pulled out my cell phone, and dialed Bella's number. When I heard her voice on the line, all tension previously unnoticed simply drained from my body. "Hey there, handsome." She said playfully. I grinned.

"Hello beautiful. How's the girl talk coming?" I asked.

"Wonderfully. We've just finished swapping stories." She said.

"Glad to hear it. I imagine wine and tissues were involved?" I guessed. She pretended to sound snippy.

"Actually, it was champagne, not wine." She said. Then she laughed. "And yeah, there were plenty of tissues. I laughed too.

"So, I was wondering… well, you better put this on speaker so Alice and Rose can hear too."

"Okay." There was a pause. "You still there?" she asked.

"I'm here. Hang on, let me put mine on speaker too." I pushed a button, then held the phone out so the guys could hear. "Bella?"

"I'm here. So are Alice and Rose." There was a chorus of hellos from Alice and Rose in the background. I laughed.

"Hello, ladies. Emmet and Jasper are here." I said. Em and Jazz said hello as Alice and Rose giggled in delight. "Alright, focus people." I said. Everyone settled down. "So listen, we were wondering if it was alright if we told my family the news. Em and Jazz are going to tell their parents eventually, but we figured my parents would be the most… responsive." I said. There was a pause, followed by hushed murmuring in the background.

"That's fine. But we have a better idea. Do your parents have a webcam?" she asked. I thought about it.

"I think so. Why?"

"We think we should do it face to face." Bella said. "And we want to be there." She said. I grinned.

"As usual, you are brilliant." I said. Bella laughed.

"Why thank you. We can be there in about fifteen minutes." She said.

"Alright. We'll call ahead so that they can have the webcam ready."

"Okay. Bye! Love you!" she said.

"Love you too. Drive safe." I said.

"We will." She said. Then we disconnected.

I looked at the guys. "Well, I'm gonna call." I said. They nodded, and we all felt suddenly anxious. We all wanted approval from my family, which was like family to Em and Jazz too. I called my mom. "Hello?"

"Hey, mom. It's Edward." I said.

"Hey! How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm doing fine. How is everyone on your side?" I asked.

"We're all fine. What's up?" she asked.

"Do you and dad still have that web cam we gave you a few years ago?" I asked.

"Umm, I think so. Why?" she asked.

"Well, we have some news, and we thought it'd be best to do it face to face." I said.

"Oh? What kind of news?" my mother asked.

"You'll have to wait and see. Just have the web cam ready." I said.

"Alright. I love you."

"Love you too." I said. I hung up. "Well, here goes nothing." I said. The guys nodded.

BPOV

I was nervous about telling Edward's parents about everything. So were Alice and Rose. They'd fallen in love with Edward's family the moment they met them, and I'd loved them since I was a little girl. This was a big step, for everyone. None of us wanted to mess it up. During the drive, we were all quiet. It was like we were afraid to speak, like everything could crumble with a word.

When we got to the guys' house, the tension burst like a balloon. With them, it seemed like everything was okay. Edward loved me, Emmet was like the big brother I'd never had, and Jasper emitted an air of calm and peace. It was perfect. Edward held me close, and nuzzled my neck. I shivered. "Hi." I whispered.

"It's hard to believe I've missed you already in this short of time." He murmured. I hummed happily in response.

"Is everything set up?" I asked.

"Yep. Everything ready to go." Emmet said. I smiled sheepishly.

"Is anyone besides me nervous?" I asked. Everyone voiced their agreement, and then laughed.

"Okay. We might as well get this over with." Rosalie said. We nodded.

We all crowded around the computer in the living room, and turned on the monitor. Then we opened up a video chat with Edward's mom. The screen popped up, and Edward's parents were sitting there looking anxious. "Edward! Oh my, everyone's there! This must be big." She muttered. Edward Sr. smiled, and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hey everyone. How are you?" he asked.

"We're all fine." I said. I nudged at Edward. He looked at everyone else, and they nodded their assent for him to start. He took a deep breath.

"Mom? Dad?"

"Yes?"

"We have some news…" he paused to gather strength. "We're getting married… all of us." He said. Aunt Liz gasped.

"Oh my god. All three of my boys? Getting married?" she said. Her eyes immediately became teary, and I saw Jasper and Emmet get a little choked up. I realized immediately why…. She'd called them her boys.

Edward Sr. grinned. "Congratulations. Having a triple wedding?" he asked teasingly. Edward laughed.

"Not quite. Bella and I… we're waiting to get officially engaged until she's graduated." He said, holding my hand and smiling at me. I smiled back. Aunt Liz finally found her voice again.

"I'm so happy I could just burst! God. You all need to come visit as soon as possible so we can start planning." When we laughed, she glared. "I mean it! I'm going to be very upset if I'm not included in the plans." She said. We laughed again.

We talked to them for nearly an hour before we finally said goodbye. Then we said goodbye to the guys, and headed home. After getting ready for bed, I crawled beneath my blankets, and sighed. Today had been a good day. It still felt like a fairytale…

**Ending Note**: OMG!!! I can't believe it's been over a MONTH since I've updated. I'm SO sorry!! I felt so guilty after I noticed that I sat down and pounded this chapter out. I hope you like it! I made it nice and long to try and make up for my absence. Again, SO sorry!!! Reviews and favs always welcome. :D Peace! ~~~~~~~~:D~~~~~~~


	18. Being Brave Ch 18

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Okay peeps. I know I keep saying this, but I'm really sorry I haven't uploaded in so long. School's been CRAZY busy, and I'm not sure when I'll be able to upload. But in 16 days (aka when school is out) I swear, I'll be a busy writing fiend! Thanks so much to everyone who's been patient with me and kept reading even though I'm taking forever. Please, please, please; be kind and drop me a review. I haven't gotten any lately, and it makes me sad. :(

**Being Brave**

I couldn't remember a time when I'd been so nervous, or so happy. It had been seven months since Edward had made his promise to me. It was September; two weeks from my birthday. I was going to go home and see Renee, and it was my plan to tell her about Edward. There was only one problem with my plan. Every time I thought about it, I broke out in a cold sweat. I couldn't stand the thought of my mom looking at me the way I knew she would; with betrayal, anger, disappointment, and finally thoughtfulness. And I hated knowing that those thoughts would be on how she might convince me that I was making a mistake, and to wait until I was older to get into a serious relationship. For god's sake, I was twenty one, about to be twenty two. How long did she expect me to wait?

Edward of course was being Edward. Which means he was being outrageously supportive and logical… damn him. Why couldn't he let me freak out a little? It was kind of how I worked through things, and blew off steam. When I told him this, he just grinned that crooked grin I loved best, and said he knew a better way for me to blow off steam. I can't deny I liked his way much better than I liked mine.

I think that Edward had ulterior motives in trying to make me feel better. He was ridiculously excited about the fact that I'd be telling my mother about us. He really wanted to meet her. I suppose I can understand that. He loved me, and was eager for the approval of my family. I wanted her to like him too. I think my heart would simply shatter if she told me I couldn't see Edward anymore. Over the months, I'd grown to love him more with each day. I'd come to the conclusion that there wasn't a more perfect man for me anywhere in the world. He loved me, I loved him, and neither of us were going to let each other go – is there anything more perfect?

Alice and Rose were also trying to convince me things would be okay. "Bella, you are worrying far too much about this. Renee would have to be blind, deaf, and have an IQ of below eighty to not see how perfect you and Edward are for each other. Not to mention how in love with each other you are. Honestly, it's sickening how much you two love each other." Rose said. I laughed.

"Thanks… I think." I said. Alice giggled.

"I agree with Rose. Renee should be thrilled that you found a guy like Edward. Edward's the kind of guy that will love you forever, and always take care of you." She said. I sighed.

"The key word there is _should_ be thrilled. Renee isn't rational when it comes to things like this. But I'm going to have to try anyway." I muttered.

"Just out of curiosity, what made you decide to tell her now?" Rose asked.

"Well, I have this feeling. I'm going to be graduating from college next year around this time, and I'm turning twenty two. I figure if she's not going to except Edward and I now, then she never will. I have a two weeks off before I have to start next quarter, so I figure it's the perfect time to tell her without the pressures of school and work together on top of it. And all the secrets have been just piling up, and I'm sick of it. I want to tell her the truth. I just pray that she'll be okay with it." I murmured. Rose and Alice hugged me tightly.

"Don't worry so much hon. She'll come around eventually, even if she's not okay with it right away. She's gotta except that you're an adult now, and that you're going to do grown up things whether she likes it or not." Alice soothed.

"I know." I took a deep breath. "Okay, I feel a little better now. You girls want to help me pack?" I asked, smiling. They grinned at me.

"Of course. We are the masters at anything that involves clothing. I'm almost insulted you had to ask." Rose said. I laughed, and followed them into my room.

After arguing and finagling over clothing and what and wasn't appropriate for my trip, I was finally packed, and it was nearly time for me to go to bed. I had an early flight in the morning, and wanted to be well rested. As was my ritual when I wasn't spending the night at Edward's, (which was less and less these days) I called him just before I crawled into bed.

"Hello beautiful love of mine." My heart melted as it always did when he said things like that. No matter how many times he said them, I never got used to it.

"Hello handsome. How are you?"

"Much better now that I can hear your voice. How was your day?"

"Stressful, but I feel better now. Alice and Rose gave me a little pep talk." I said, already fully relaxed by the velvety sound of his voice. I swear he could hypnotize me into doing pretty much anything with just his voice.

"That's good. Did you eat?" he asked. I sighed. He was always worried about me taking care of myself. I'd lost a few pounds more then was probably healthy with all the stress of school, work, and Renee. So Edward was being even more careful with me than usual.

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I even have witnesses, your honor." I teased. Edward chuckled, and I shivered.

"Good. I worry about you." He said. The simple love and care in his voice made my heart shudder in my chest.

"I know. I love you Edward." I murmured.

"I love you too." He said. In that instant, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

"Edward?"

"Yes?"

"I changed my mind. I want to sleep over at your place tonight." I said.

"Bella, you have an early flight. You should stay home." He said, his voice lightly amused.

"I don't care. I can't sleep alone. Not tonight." I said. I heard him sigh lightly.

"I'm on my way." He said. I smiled. I knew that this was his way of compromising. "Get in bed and wait for me. Try to sleep." He said.

"Okay. Drive safe." I said. He laughed. It was sort of our ongoing joke. We both knew Edward drove like a maniac.

"I'll try." He said. I laughed.

"Hurry over." I said.

"I will."

I changed into one of the shirts that Edward had left here, and inhaled deeply. It still smelled like him. That smell that was like the sweetest cologne, but wasn't. Sunshine, pine, honey, and male. It was like a drug. I crawled beneath the covers, and put on my soothing playlist on my iHome. I closed my eyes, and drifted in the half sleep, half wake state while I waited for Edward.

After what seemed like only minutes, I felt the bed shift beneath Edward's added weight. I smiled as I felt his arms drew me to him, and wrap securely around me. He brushed his mouth over my ear, and sighed. "Bella." He murmured.

"I'm awake." I said. And I was. As usual, my body became hyperaware of his the instant skin brushed against skin. Edward had changed into pajama pants and taken off his shirt while I was half asleep. I moaned a little, and shifted so I was in a more comfortable position. I rubbed my cheek against his warm skin, and sighed. Home…

"You're tense." Edward murmured. That wasn't entirely true. My body was entirely relaxed now that Edward was here, but there were still knots in my muscles that betrayed how worried I was.

"Only a little." I said. He began gently rubbing my shoulders and neck, and I moaned low in my throat. He chuckled.

"Only a little." He repeated. I nodded, too lazy to speak. "I wish you'd relax, Bella. Everything will be fine." He said. I thought for a moment.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"What if our positions were reversed? What if you thought your parents wouldn't approve of me?" I asked.

"I'd tell them anyway. If they loved me enough, and understood me, they'd accept my decisions." He said.

"I don't doubt my mother loves me." I said, suddenly offended. "It's the understanding she lacks." I said. Edward didn't say anything, but continued to gently knead my flesh until I was nearly pliant as wax. Suddenly a song came on over the speakers, the melody soft, flowing, and beautiful. It was called Brave, by Leona Lewis. I knew the lyrics by heart, though I'd forgotten that I even had it. I suddenly wanted to weep. The song so perfect it was painful. She sang of being afraid to fight for love, and how her lover fought so hard for them.

Then I did begin to cry. "Bella?" Edward called, panicked.

"I'm sorry." I said, calmly wiping the tears from my cheeks. I was surprised my voice was so steady when my heart was quivering in my chest."Have you ever heard this song?" I asked. He paused and listened.

"Yes." I turned my face up to look at him, and brushed my mouth over his.

"She's talking about you." I murmured. "You've fought so hard to keep us together. Even when we were young, you chased after me. But I let myself be dragged away." I said. My breath came out in a broken sob. "I know this sounds cliché, but you're so brave. No matter what, you always come through for me." I said. "But I've been such a coward. At the first sign of conflict, I run away. It's what I've always done." I said.

Edward's face got hard, like it had when I'd said I wasn't good enough for him. "Bella, you're being ridiculous. You're one of the bravest people I know." He said. I shook my head vigorously.

"No, I'm not." When he opened his mouth to argue, I placed a finger on his lips. "But that's going to change." I said. He frowned, and blinked in confusion. "When I see my mother, I'm going to tell her we're getting married. No matter what." I said. His eyes widened.

"Bella, are you sure?" he asked. The original plan had been to tell her we were in a committed relationship, and work up slowly to the engagement which hadn't technically happened yet.

"I'm sure. I'm going to tell her everything. It's time I stop being so afraid. I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. If my mother can't understand that, then she's going to have to lose me. I can't let her tear us apart again, Edward. I just can't." I whispered.

Edward's mouth was suddenly fierce on my, stealing my breath away. He rolled smoothly so that he was on top of me, devouring my mouth. I moaned, and arched beneath his caressing hands. "Edward." I whispered.

"I love you, Bella. Hearing you say that makes me so happy, I can't even tell you." He said. I smiled beneath his heated lips.

"I think you just did." I said. He chuckled. Then he sighed.

"As much as I would like to continue this," he said as he kissed my neck. "You have an early flight tomorrow. Get some rest, my love." He said. I sighed, and let him pull me back into his side.

"Love you." I murmured.

"Love you too."

The next morning, I was feeling a little wired. My determination hadn't wavered, but my stomach was rebelling against me. Butterflies were too gentle a term – it felt as though tiny gnomes were using my internal organs as punching bags. No joke. I was in the car with Emmet, who had offered to drive me to the airport since everybody else was working. Emmet and I – and Jasper and I actually – had become fast friends. Emmet was like the big brother I'd never had, and Jasper was funny, quiet, and sweet. And they both treated my best friends like queens, so how could I not love them?

Emmet was currently laughing at me as he watched me fidget and twitch all through the ride to the airport. "Bella, seriously. I've never seen anyone twitch this much when all they're doing is going to visit their family. Not even _I_ was this bad." He laughed. I glared at him, and stuck my tongue out at him like a little kid. He just laughed again.

When we got to the airport, Emmet parked in the parking garage, and we got out of the car. He was quiet while he was helping me get my bags, and then looked at me. "Bella?"

"Yeah?" I asked, confused at his serious tone.

"Don't let her push you around, ok?" he said. I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know what it's like to have your family disapprove of your decisions." He said. I winced. I had forgotten that his parents hadn't responded well when he'd told them of his decision to marry Rose.

Emmet and Rose had gone to visit, and when she came back she cried for nearly an hour before Alice and I had gotten her to calm done enough to tell us what happened. Apparently everything had been fine until they said they were getting married. Em's parents thought he was being stupid and impulsive. He's shouted at them, and defended her against everything they'd said, and then finally Rose couldn't take it anymore, and had given them a piece of her mind. She's held in tears until the second she walked in the door. Later she said it was because she'd wanted to be strong for Em. It was actually part of what had inspired me to tell Renee.

"I'm sorry, Em." I said quietly. He shrugged.

"It's alright. Their loss right?" he said, looking like a big teddy bear in desperate need of a hug. So I hugged him tightly, and he returned it.

"Of course it's their loss, you big goof. They'd have to be blind or crazy not to see how perfect you and Rose are together." I said, telling him the same thing Rose told me. Emmet laughed gratefully.

"Thanks Bella. Now come on, all this sappy stuff is gonna make you late for your flight." He said, grinning. I laughed, and shoved at him. He barely moved an inch. Stupid muscles…

Emmet helped me find my gate, and then hugged me. "See you, squirt." He said. I glared at him.

"I'm not that short." I said. He laughed. I came up about to his chest.

"Of course you're not." He agreed. He gave me one last hug, and I grinned.

"Kiss Edward for me will you?" Emmet shuddered.

"That's cruel and unusual, Bella." He said. I laughed.

"You deserved it." I said. Then I waved, and walked into the tunnel to my plane.

During the plane ride I was actually fairly relaxed. I was on my way there, and there was nothing that could stop me now. So I managed to nap a little bit, and made sure to snack, lest I suffer the wrath of a concerned Edward. Heehee. I even managed to do a little bit of writing. There'd been an idea for a story bouncing around in my head for a while, but I hadn't been able to do much about it with everything going on. But on the plane I managed to get the basic outline and characters details laid out. It was coming along nicely. I smiled, and looked up, then realized we were just about to land. I quickly stuffed my things back into my carryon bag, and waited for us to touch down.

When everything was all said and done, I was finally off the plane and looking through the crowd for my mom. I stretched up onto my toes, and craned my neck. As nervous as I was about this weekend, I really did miss her. "Bella!" I looked to my right, and grinned.

"Mom!" I shouted. I dropped my stuff, and ran up to meet her. We both laughed, and hugged fiercely.

"Oh Bella." My mom sighed as she hugged me.

"Hey, mom. I've missed you." I said honestly.

"Oh, I've missed you too darling. How have you been? It feels like it's been forever since I've seen you." She said. I felt a twinge of guilt, but shook it off.

"I've been good. Not much new, just really busy." I said. "What about you? Anything fun and exciting?" I asked. That instantly sent my mom into a chatter. I smiled, and picked up my bags, and listened to her talk about nothing. Believe it or not, but I actually missed this part of her. She always got so excited about everything she did. She loved finding new hobbies to try out, and even though she dropped most of them a week or two after starting them, she always put everything into them for those first weeks.

This time it was yoga. She's bought mats, videos, outfits, and everything. She said it was very relaxing, and I should definitely try it. It might help me relax, and get some of the stress out. I gave her my usual response. "Whatever you say, Mom." She laughed, then frowned.

"Honey, are you okay? You look tired, and a bit thin." She said. I laughed.

"That's school for you. Don't worry too much Mom, I'll be fine." I said. She smiled.

"Alright. Come on, let's go home. I have a surprise for you." She said. I smiled too, and followed her out to the car.

When we got home, I sighed. This wasn't home anymore, but it was love. It was familiar, and memories. It still felt comfortable even though I didn't feel like it was home anymore. There was always plenty of love in this house, no matter how much my mother and I disagreed. I smiled. "So, where's my surprise?" I asked. She laughed, and pulled out a takeout menu from the junk drawer.

"Chinese! Your favorite. The surprise is I'm not going to try and cook on my own, or make you do it." She said. I laughed.

"Yeah. No offense Mom, but you scare me when you cook." I said. She laughed too.

"Yes. I learned long ago that I should never attempt to cook without your help." She said. I laughed.

"That's good. Now let's order us some food!" I said. We laughed, and then called our favorite Chinese place.

An hour later, we were spread out on the floor, laughing, talking, and eating chow mien and sweet and sour chicken. We sipped lightly at wine, and watched old home videos. I nearly choked on my wine laughing while I watched my miserably failed attempt at ballet. "I can't believe you forced me into classes." I giggled. My mom shook her head.

"Yeah, I should of known. You always took after your father in the dancing department." I was about to change the subject, because usually talking about dad made her sad. But she kept talking. "I remember right after we first got married, that I wanted us to take dancing lessons together. Of course there was only one place to go for dance lessons in Forks, so we went and after one lesson I knew he was a lost cause. But oh how we laughed about it! He was constantly stepping on my toes, and tripping over his own feet. But we laughed." She'd been smiling before, but now she looked sad like she always did.

Mom didn't usually talk about did like that. She only told stories of how they fought, or how disagreeable they were. She hardly ever talked about when they were happy. "Mom?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Were you and Dad ever happy?" I asked quietly. She blinked.

"Of course. I wouldn't have married him in the first place if we weren't happy, at least for a little while." She said.

"You never talk about being happy with him." I said, feeling sad.

"Oh baby, of course we were happy. I don't think I've ever been happier since." She said.

"Then what happened?" I asked. She was quiet for a moment.

"I don't know. I guess I just got stir crazy. I couldn't stand being in such a small town. I'm a city girl through and through, and Forks drove me crazy." She said.

"If you loved him, you would have stayed." I said angrily. My mother blinked.

"Bella, what's got into you?" she asked.

"You just don't get it mom! He loves you! Not loved, loves. He still has pictures of your wedding day on the mantel, he hasn't changed a single thing about that house since you left. You were it for him, and you dismiss that love like it was nothing!" I shouted.

"Bella, I don't dismiss it. That love was everything to me, for a time." She said. I couldn't comprehend what she was saying. To me, if you loved someone, and loved them enough to marry them, you stayed with them forever.

"How can you say that when you left him? And you left him heartbroken." I said. I wasn't sure if I was still talking about dad, or talking about when she'd dragged me from Edward when we were still so young, so fragile.

I stood up suddenly, and ran into my room. I heard my mom call after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't face her right now. I kept running, and locked my door behind me. I flung myself on my bed, and wept. But I knew it was sheer terror that had caused me to raise my voice. It terrified me, what she had said. She'd been so happy, so in love, just like Edward and I. But then she's left, and hadn't looked back. I didn't want to face the possibility that that could happen to me too. My entire being rebelled against the thought, but I had to look at it.

Could I leave Edward? Would something change me to such an extreme that I would ever willingly leave the man I knew I loved with my whole heart? I thought about it seriously, objectively, and knew the answer. No. I couldn't. I wouldn't. My mother had to have been wrong. She just hadn't loved my dad enough. If she loved him like I loved Edward, she would have stayed with him no matter where they were. But… what about my dad? I asked. If he'd known that she was unhappy there, wouldn't he have loved her enough to leave?

I thought about that too. Then I remembered him telling me he hadn't known. He just hadn't seen how unhappy she was. So he didn't even get the chance to prove he'd do anything for her. I shook my head. My mother was flighty, and impulsive. It was possible she did love him, deep down. She just didn't give herself enough time to let that love grow. I'd been together with Edward for over a year and a half. I knew I loved him enough to stay with him forever, and we weren't even married yet. I couldn't imagine how much more my love for him would grow once we were married… once we had a family.

That was another thing that didn't make sense to me. She had me. And yet she'd torn me away from everything I knew, for what? What could have possibly scared her so much that she would take me away from my home, my family? I couldn't imagine.

Later, after I'd calmed myself down, I went downstairs to apologize. I found my mom in the kitchen. "Mom?" I called. She looked up, looking weary.

"Hello, Bella." She said.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I snapped at you. I guess things have just been building up. I didn't mean what I said." I was only half lying. I didn't mean to hurt her, but I believed what I said. She smiled.

"That's okay, honey. Don't worry about it. You weren't entirely wrong, after all." She said. I hugged her.

"It's ok, mom. We don't have to talk about it. Let's just have fun this weekend." I said. She smiled.

"Ok." She said, sounding relieved.

That night, I went upstairs to my room, and called Edward. Mom was already asleep, but I still whispered. "Hello gorgeous." I heard. Instantly the tightness in my chest that I hadn't noticed disappeared.

"Hey. God, is it possible that I already miss you?" I asked.

"It must be, since I miss you too." He said. I smiled.

"I can't talk very long, I just wanted to say I miss you, and I love you." I said.

"Same here. When you're ready, we're all waiting for you at my parent's house." He said.

"Emmet, Rose, Alice, and Jasper too?" I asked.

"Yeah, we decided to come up early, since my mom has been bugging them to start planning the wedding." He said. He sounded highly amused.

"You won't be laughing once we're engaged mister." I said.

"Don't remind me. I'd hate to be in Emmet and Jasper's shoes right now." He said, souding horrified. I laughed.

"Told you so." I said. "I love you. Goodnight."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams, my love." I smiled when I hung up.

My mom and I did have fun that weekend. I ended up trying her yoga with her, and it actually was really relaxing. And it turned out I was fairly flexible, so I did pretty good at it until we got to the balancing poses. We're not going to discuss what happened then. There was lots of laughing, and lots of reminiscing about my childhood days. On Tuesday we had presents and store bought cake. It was my last day before I had to leave, then I was going to Forks to spend the rest of the week with Edward's family and Charlie. Mom knew about the Charlie part, just not the Edward's family part. But I was going to tell her today. I would have told her sooner, but I wanted to wait in case it ruined the weekend's happy mood.

I laughed when I saw what she got me. It was my own yoga mat, and a DVD with instructions. "Mom, you shouldn't have." I teased. She laughed.

"I thought you might like to try it on your own, since you did so well last time." She said. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, sure I did. Thank you for thinking of me, though." I said. I leaned down to pick up the paper, when I heard my mother gasp. I glanced up at her. "What?"

"What is that?" she whispered, looking at my neck. I glanced down, and my eyes widened. Shit. I'd been wearing the ring Edward gave me around my neck so that I wouldn't give it away before the time was right. I'd had it tucked into my shirt, but when I'd bent over it had slipped free. Well, it was now or never. I took a deep breath…

"Mom, I have something to tell you." I said. She was still staring at him, looking horrified. "I've been seeing someone." I said.

"Who?" she whispered. My back went up.

"Edward Masen. The boy you told me didn't exist." I said. My mother gasped again.

"How?" she demanded.

"He lives in Oregon now. We ran into each other. We started talking, and he asked me out on a date. After a while, he decided it was time I meet his family. I agreed. And that's when I found out what you did to me." I whispered. Her reaction was making me angry. What right did she have to tell me who to love?

"Bella! You've kept this a secret from me? All this time? How serious is it?" she asked.

"This is a promise ring." I said, slipping it off my neck, and onto my finger. "He promised to marry me one day, and I said that one day I would say yes." I said.

"Your engaged?" she cried.

"Practically."

"Bella! You're too young! I haven't even seen Edward since you were four! This is just happening way too fast." She said, holding her head as if it was spinning.

"I don't care what you say, mom. I love him, and he loves me. We're meant to be together. I now that sounds like what everyone says, but it's true. How else can you explain us finding each other after all these years?" I demanded.

"Coincidence! You're blinded by young love, and not thinking straight. Don't make the same mistakes I did, Bella."

"Love is a mistake? No! I won't accept that what I feel for Edward could ever be a mistake! Can't you see? I adore him! I can't imagine my life without him. I don't want to imagine it. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with him, and no matter what I would leave him, like you left dad!" I screamed. Her face got hard.

"Bella, I forbid you to do this. This is a mistake!" she said, her voice pleading.

"NO! It's not a mistake! How can you say that to me! I love him! And if you can't understand that, then you're going to lose me." I said. Renee looked stricken.

"What?"

"I'm leaving. If you won't accept Edward and I, then I'm leaving." I said.

"Bella, you can't! You'll regret this for the rest of your life." She said. I shook my head vigorously, and clamped my hands over my ears.

"I won't listen to this anymore." I said.

I ran upstairs, I threw all my stuff into my bag, and zipped it up. I threw my bag over my shoulder, and ran back downstairs. "Bella! Where are you going?" My mother demanded.

"Home! To Edward!" I shouted. I flung the door open, and ran out into the hot Arizona night.

**Ending Note: **Hey everyone! School's finally out, and I'm back to writing as often as possible. Chapters will be coming much more quickly now, so keep an eye out! : ) PLEASE REVIEW! I'm going through review withdrawal! Lol. Hope you liked this chapter! XD


	19. And It All Comes Out Ch 19

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Soooo... I have no excuses for not writing so long. I could say writers block (true) and I've been insanely busy (also true) but that wouldn't have stopped me if I'd really tried, so I'm trying now. I've resolved to finish this, because it's really close to being done, so hopefully it'll be done within a week. Hopefully! Anyways, I hope you like it!

**And It All Comes Out**

After the initial anger and grief had worn off, I realized I'd reacted a little… recklessly. I shouldn't have just run out like that. I was walking down the streets of Phoenix, with no car, and no idea what to do next. I sighed, and pulled out my phone. I needed to talk to one person, and one person only right then. I dialed Edward's number, which by now I knew by heart.

He answered on the second ring. "Bella? What's wrong?" I blinked in surprise.

"How'd you know something was wrong?" I asked.

"I had a feeling. Tell me what's wrong." He said, sounding slightly panicked.

"I told my mom. About us. She didn't take it well." I said. Edward sucked in a breath.

"Where are you?"

"Outside. We had a fight, and I left."

"Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry." He murmured. I took in a shaky breath, tears misting my eyes.

"Yeah, me too. I need to come home. I need to be with you." I whispered.

"Of course. Are you going to take a plane, or drive?" he asked. I smiled shakily. Trust Edward to start making a plan.

"Plane. I need to be there. Soon." I said, starting to feel desperate. I needed him to tell me everything was going to be alright. I need his comfort, his warmth, his strength. I needed him.

"I'll call the airline. There'll be a ticket waiting for you when you get there." He said. A breathe of relief shuddered out of me.

"Okay. I'll see you soon." I said.

"Okay. And Bella?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." He said. I closed my eyes.

"God… I love you too." I whispered.

"Everything will be okay. You'll be here with me soon." He said.

"Yeah. I'll be home soon." I said.

I hailed a cab, and gave him instructions to take me to the airport. When I got there, as promised, there was a ticket waiting for me. I only had twenty minutes to wait before I was on the plane, and on my way to Edward. While I was on the plane, I thought. By the time I was done thinking, I was more determined than ever that I had made the right decision. I knew Edward and I were different from my parents. We would get married, and we would stick to it. Not because we had to – because a piece of paper told us we had to, but because we wanted to. Because we loved each other, and would never stop loving each other. His family loved me, and I loved them. Our best friends were getting married as well, so that was an added foundation. Things would be different for us, I told myself. We would last.

When I could use my phone, I decided I should leave my mom a message. She'd worry, and as mad I was at her, I didn't want her to have a stroke or something. So I sent her a text, that went something like this. "Mom, I'm fine. I know you're worried about me. Don't. I'm fine. I'm going to Charlie's to cool off, and spend some time with him. I hope you can move past this. Love you. Bella." I don't know why I lied and told her I was going to Charlie's place. Well, I was going to see him, but I wouldn't be staying there. I guess I didn't want her any angrier than she was. Not to mention she knew Edward's parents lived in Forks. She had to know that if I was going to Forks, I'd be going to see them too. I just didn't feel like coming out and saying it.

I must have dozed off, because the next thing I knew, I was being jostled awake by the landing. It was mid-afternoon and raining gently. I was instantly alert, and awake. My heart raced, knowing I'd be seeing Edward soon. I needed his reassurance more than anything else. I waited impatiently while we all shuffled slowly forward with our carry-on luggage, and then finally out the plane into the tunnel, then into the airport. A small part of the weight on my chest lifted, and I felt slightly less claustrophobic.

I was about to pull out my phone to call Edward to see if he'd give me a lift, when I heard someone calling my name. "Bella!" My head jerked up, and my eyes widened. And I saw the other half of myself. All I could think was, 'Oh. I can breathe again'. My bag slipped out of my fingers and dropped to the floor as he ran towards me. I snapped myself out of my trance, and bolted forward. I took a leapt, and wrapped my legs securely around his waist, and locked my arms around his neck. I breathed deeply as his arms held me to him, strong as iron vices. But I didn't feel caged. I felt safe. I felt loved.

"Bella…" he whispered.

"Shhh…" I murmured. "Just give me a second." I said. He didn't say anything, just held me closer, and buried his face in my hair. I breathed deeply again, breathing in his scent. Sunshine, pine, and man. Edward. Safety. I smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too." He murmured. He pulled back gently, and those incredible green eyes roamed over my face, then his mouth followed. "She's wrong." He murmured.

"I haven't even told you what she said yet." I said.

"I don't care. Whatever she said upset you, made you doubt things, so she's wrong." He said. I was a little surprised at the harsh tone of his voice. I pulled back a little, and saw anger flickering in his eyes. But I also saw fear. He was afraid I'd leave him. That was understandable. Ridiculous, but understandable.

I framed his face gently with my hands. "I'm not going anywhere." I told him. From the look on his face, I'd been right. "I'm not leaving you again, Edward. Never." I said. I kissed him gently, and let it linger. "I'm yours. Forever." I said. He sighed.

"Sorry. Guess you're not the only one with fears." He said. I smiled.

"That's good to know." I said. He smiled too, and I slid carefully down from my perch around his torso. He groaned, and I grinned.

"You're evil." He said, glaring at me. I laughed, and kissed him again.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I said. He grumbled, and picked up my bag for me.

"Come on. I have a surprise waiting for you in the car." He said. My interest piqued.

"What sort of surprise?" I asked. He smirked.

"The surprising sort." He said. I glared him.

"You suck." I said, pouting. He laughed, and wrapped his free arm around my waist.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said, tossing my words back at me. Like he had, I grumbled, but went with him.

When we got out to the parking garage, I was thinking about what the surprise could be. Then we turned a corner, and I saw what it was. "Bella!" They all greeted me. My family. Alice, Rose, Jasper, Emmet, Edward's parents; they were all right there waiting. I gaped at them, then felt happy tears fill my eyes when I saw the look of concern and love they all shared. I rushed forward, and allowed myself to enveloped in a big group hug.

"Bells, we're so sorry." Edward Sr. said.

"Yeah. Your mom's a crazy person." Emmet agreed. I let out a watery laugh as I tried and failed not to cry.

"Yeah, I know." I said, pulling back. I looked at them all, and smiled. "Either she'll get used to the idea, or she won't. Either way, I'm sticking." I said. Edward came up behind me, and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned into his strength, and warmth, and sighed. "I'm sticking." I repeated softly. Edward pressed his lips to my neck, and sighed.

"I hate knowing you're hurting." He murmured.

"I know. I'll be okay. I promise." I said.

We all got into our cars, and started the drive back to Forks. Alice, Rose, and I rode together, (after some debating with Edward), and they happily took on the task of slowly extracting me from the blanket of grief I'd wrapped around myself. The chattered cheerfully, and slowly I shook off my mood of doom and gloom. It was my birthday after all. Just for a few days, I was going to enjoy myself. I was going to forget all my worries. Just for these few days, then I would be able to deal with it.

When we got back to the house, I felt the very last shadows get chased away at the sight of what had been, for the longest time, my home away from home. I relaxed fully, and even managed a sincere smile. Alice and Rose smiled too. "There's the Bella we know and love." they said. My smile brightened.

"Yeah, I'm back. Just took a little vacation." I said teasingly. They laughed.

"Well, we're glad you're back." they said, each other them putting on arm around either of my shoulders. I sighed contentedly. It was so good to have friends like them.

When Edward got out of his car, and walked straight to me, his eyes never leaving my face, I felt my heart trip. I was strengthened, knowing the simple and unshakable truth that Edward loved me. He loved me, and that would never change. He wrapped me into the easy, warm strength of his embrace, and held on tight. I nuzzled the side of his neck, and smiled. "I'm okay now." I whispered. Some of the tension in his shoulders eased. He kissed the special place under my ear, and I shivered.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm positive." I answered. He pulled back, and studied my face carefully. Whatever he saw there must have satisfied him, because he smiled, and kissed me softly.

"I'm glad." he said. I smiled back.

"Me too." Edward's parents got out of the car, and Emmet and Jasper followed. Em and Rose went inside, and Jasper and Alice were right behind them. Edward Sr. and Aunt Liz each smiled at me, and walked inside with Edward and I. When I walked inside, all I could think was that it was good to be home.

I went upstairs, and straight into Edward's old room. I dropped my bags on the floor, and collapsed into the bed. I smiled. The pillows smelled like him. "Comfy?" I smiled.

"Very." I said. I looked up to see Edward smiling at me. I patted the space next to me, and he laid down next to me. He pulled me into his chest, and I settled down easily.

"You need some rest." he murmured. No argument there. I hadn't gotten much sleep on the plane, and what sleep I had gotten had been fitful and restless. Wrapped up in Edward, I could sleep like the dead. Which is precisely what I did.

EPOV

Bella was asleep the moment that I suggested she rest, as if the power of suggestion alone had put her to sleep. I smiled, and gently disentangled myself from her. Looking at her face, completely relaxed in sleep, made my heart contract. She'd been so distraught when she'd called me, saying that he mother had rejected the idea of us together. I hadn't the slightest idea why, but I knew that it made me angrier than I'd ever felt in my life. How anyone, especially Bella's own mother, could ever make her so unhappy was completely unacceptable, and beyond the realm of comprehension. I shook my head, and went downstairs to let Bella sleep.

My parents were in the kitchen, talking quietly. They looked up at me when I walked in. My mother smiled sadly. "How's she holding up?" she asked.

"She's sleeping. She's emotionally spent." I replied. My father sighed angrily.

"I just don't see why Renee's so upset." he said gruffly. "Anyone can see that the two of you are a million times happier together than you are apart. She'd have to be legally blind not to see that." he said. I smiled gratefully at him, though I was a little surprised at how angry he sounded. My smile widened, thinking that that was just the effect that Bella had on people. Everyone loved her and wanted to protect her.

I jolted when I realized that maybe that was exactly what her mother was trying to do. Protect her. In the only way that she knew how. "God, it's so simple." I murmured.

"What is, sweetheart?" My mother asked.

"Bella says that Renee hates the idea of her in a relationship. She's told me over and over that Renee's trying to protect her, but I didn't believe it until today. Renee's only known bad relationships, and it must have hurt her over and over again. That hurt has been the only thing she knows. And she wants to keep Bella from feeling that." I said. My mom frowned.

"How can she know that Bella will get hurt?" she asked.

"That's the thing. She doesn't. And it's that uncertainty that must drive her crazy." I said. She sighed sadly.

"It must be a terrible thing, to always be afraid of love." My father smiled at her.

"The crazy things that love will make you do." he said. My mom smiled back. I sighed. If only I'd seen it before, maybe I could have worked to make Renee believe that I'd never hurt Bella. Maybe then they wouldn't have had such a huge disagreement. I also wished that Bella had told her mother about us from the start. Maybe then it wouldn't have come as such a shock.

But deep down I knew that Bella was only doing what she thought was right. And it occurred to me that she might have kept her mother in the dark, to give us the easy, worry free time we'd spent together. If she'd told her straight from the start, we might not have had that. And I had to be grateful for that at least. But it didn't stop me from wishing that Bella had never had to experience what she had gone through today.

I rubbed my hands over my face, and rolled my shoulders. I could only hope that with time, and coaxing, Renee would come around to the idea of us. Because like Bella said, we would last. Neither of us was going anywhere without the other.

RPOV

As I paced my kitchen for the millionth time, worried, angry, and scared, and cursed my family's weakness for a handsome face. A weakness I had clearly passed on to my daughter. Why? After all the work I put in trying to protect her from those who might harm her, did she ignore my warnings, and go and fall for a pretty face? I tried all her life to protect her, and I'd failed.

Love was a fairy tale, the adult version of Santa Clause. It was nothing more than a tale we told ourselves to try and fill the loneliness that we all feel. But love was no Disney fairytale. More like the Brothers Grimm. I had yet to see a love story that had a shining happy ending. All that love had ever given me was pain, grief, and anger.

Now my own daughter had fallen for the allure of the bright shiny ending. But I knew she would never have it, because it simply did not exist. I looked for the fifteenth time at the text she had sent me. She'd taken a plane back to Forks, going to visit her father. My heart twinged, and I bit my lip against the pain, thinking about Charlie. I shook myself; he was just another handsome face and an unhappy ending. But I knew full and well she wasn't going just to visit Charlie. She would go straight to him; to Edward.

They'd been so close as children, it was no wonder that they'd been drawn to each other as adults. But I couldn't bear the thought of him hurting my little girl. And because they'd known each other for so long, things would be so much more intense, and so much more painful when everything went wrong… I had to try and save her. I had to do something!

My mind made up, I picked up my cell phone, and after some complications due to my minute knowledge of technology, I had a plane ticket to Forks. The one place I vowed to never go again. But to protect Bella, I would do just about anything….

Going to the airport was hell. Not because of the airport itself, but what it meant; what it represented. Leaving. Going back. Something I'd always promised myself I would never ever do. Charlie had been the only man I'd thought I could have that bright shiny ending with. He'd been the one that I thought I could have it all with. But staying with him in Forks, when I'd been so young, I'd had my whole life ahead of me… I couldn't possibly settle down then! And it wasn't because we had Bella; if anything she made us stick together more, want to make it work more. But I was so young, and I had so much to look forward to! Just like Bella. I needed more than that sleepy little town, and poor Charlie could give me. I knew he'd never understand. And even if he had loved me enough to leave Forks for me, he would've never been happy anywhere else. He would have never been happy in the big city, and I couldn't bear to make him try to be. So I'd left, and taken Bella with me.

I suppose that was the second biggest regret I had, besides putting aside my feelings for Charlie. I regretted that Bella didn't have a father figure for most of her life. Sure they visited from time to time, but a girl needed more than that in her life. Maybe that was why she was so determined to be with Edward. She wanted that strong male presence in her life. But Edward couldn't be that for her. No man could. Why couldn't she see that?

My mind went in circle after circle, first in the airport, than on the plane. I just couldn't see what could possibly make her ignore all of my careful warnings, all the times she saw me hurt by relationships, and then eventually giving up. Because I had tried, with other men. I'd tried to find some semblance of what I'd had with Charlie. But none of them had given it to me. All of them had ended up hurting me, and eventually I resolved to be alone. Of course I didn't want Bella to be that way. But I just wanted her to wait! She was young, so young, almost the same age as I was when I was with Charlie. She had so much ahead of her; college, work, travel, the world! She could have it all, but love would only hold her back. Two people never agreed completely on anything; she would never be able to do exactly what she wanted, when she wanted. It would always be a compromise, and that wasn't what someone her age should have. She should have it all!

By the time I landed in Forks, it was early in the morning, and it had been over twenty four hours since I'd seen Bella. I was exhausted, but resolved. I knew exactly what I had to tell her, to make her see reason. She would understand… eventually. I got off the plane, and headed straight to rent a car. That taken care of, I was off, driving down eerily familiar winding roads, lined with evergreens, and trees just beginning to turn to flame with the coming of autumn. Almost nothing had changed in the almost twenty years since I had left. It was so strange, and yet… somehow almost comforting. And I couldn't deny that what had always seemed so disquietingly quaint, boring, and frozen, now seemed… charming. The familiar, and the quiet seemed to soothe my mind, and my worries a little. Bella was here, and she was with the familiar, in the quiet. So surely she was at least safe.

When I got to the house that Charlie and I had shared for several happy years, I nearly wept. I of course knew why I left, knew that it had been good for me… good for Bella, but… but oh how happy we had been! For that short amount of time before I'd grown so utterly restless, we'd been happy. Quiet Christmases with snow, chilly mysterious autumns, and Halloweens carving enormous pumpkins. Now that I'd lived a full, and adventurous life, I could admit that the quiet, and peaceful, and simple might have called to me a little.

Just when I was thinking of how nice it was there, Charlie came out the door. I knew he knew it was me. I could see it in his face. He didn't look surprised, angry, happy, or anything else. His face was blank, sort of brooding I suppose. He didn't do anything, make any move to come towards me, but he just leaned against the doorframe and waited, like he'd been waiting twenty years for me, and could keep on doing it, if that's what was needed.

It took everything that I had not to start weeping. I had to be strong; he couldn't see me fall apart. I'd always been like that when I was younger – emotional, flakey. But now I was mature… right? I got out of the car, and walked to the front door. "Charlie." I said, trying to keep my voice indifferent and cool, but it came out sort of shaky.

"Hello, Renee." Charlie said, as cool as you please. I thought I saw something glimmer in his eyes, but then it was gone. I drew myself up.

"I'd like to speak to Bella." I said, a little huffily. Charlie nodded slowly.

"Yeah, I figured as much. She's not here though. And if you are, I imagine you know where she is." I felt anger rising up in me, and trembled slightly. She didn't even come here first! She'd gone straight to him, even after our fight!

CPOV

I saw the anger and the grief light Renee's eyes, and I knew she was pissed. "Look, Renee. Bella called ahead, and let me know what was going on. You've got to understand, her and Edward… They're good together. I was wary about him too, at first, she's my daughter too after all. But after a while…"

"After a while?!" she gasped. Uh oh. "How long have you known about this, Charlie?!" she demanded. I cleared my throat, and scratched absently at my neck.

"Uh… since um, Christmas I guess." I mumbled.

"CHRISTMAS!" She shrieked. I winced.

"Look Renee, I know it's hard to take in, and Bella knew you'd react like this, which is the whole reason why she didn't tell you. She didn't want you to try and break the two of them up. And damn it, I went along with it for the same reason!" I said, starting to get angry. She wasn't gonna ruin Bella's happiness, not like she'd ruined ours…

Unfortunately Renee wasn't listening. She turned smartly on her heel, her short sunny hair bouncy, and marched off to her car. I rolled my eyes heavenward, praying for strength, and then marched after her. "Renee, Renee! You've gotta listen to me. You're overreacting!" She paid no heed. She got into her car, started the engine, and then sped off towards the Mason's house. "Sweet Jesus, here we go." I muttered. Then I tromped back into the house to call Bells and warn her. When she didn't pick up, I cursed under my breath. Then, resignedly, I picked up my jacket, and went out to get in the cruiser, and headed out. I couldn't help but feel I was wandering into World War three.

BPOV

When I woke up, it was morning somehow, and I figured I must have been utterly exhausted to have slept so long. I was in soft pajamas, though how I got into them was beyond me. Edward wasn't in bed next to me, so I wandered downstairs searching for him. He wasn't there, but I found Aunt Liz and Edward Sr. in the kitchen, laughing and talking quietly. "Good morning." I called sleepily. They both turned and smiled warmly at me.

"Morning sleepy head. Edward didn't want to wake you. He went out to get some groceries for me, and the other two happy couples are out and about spending some quality time together. They didn't want to crowd you, in case you were still… upset." Liz explained. I smiled.

"That was nice of them." I said. I sighed. "I'm afraid I'm still not one hundred percent, even after my gluttonous sleep." Liz patted my arm comfortingly.

"I know, darling. It's always hard when parents don't approve of the things you do." She said.

"Were your parent apprehensive about you and Edward Sr.?" I asked. They both laughed.

"Oh good heavens no. But Edward's parents were. Oh, your mother _hated_ me for the longest time." She said, grinning. My eyes widened.

"How can anyone hate you, Aunt Liz?" I asked sincerely. She chuckled.

"She thought I was… um… what's the phrase darling?"

"A gold digger." He said, grinning.

"Ah yes. You see, Edward's family came from old money, and of course he does very well for himself, so naturally, me, coming from middle class family, had to be in it for the money." Liz said.

"She was obviously wrong, and eventually figured that out. Though there were some awkward family dinners before she did. Well, darling, we'd better get upstairs. You wanted to look through those boxes this morning, didn't you?" he asked.

"Oh yes, I'll be up right behind you." She said. Aunt Liz turned to me, and then grinned. "Want to know how I convinced her to shut up?" she whispered. I laughed.

"Of course."

"I told her it wasn't the money I was in it for… it was the sex." I gasped, flushed, and then tried not to burst out laughing.

"You didn't!" I gasped. She grinned wickedly.

"I did. It finally got that old bitty to keep her trap shut, she was so shocked." She said. She laughed, and then headed up the stairs after her husband. I giggled, and then helped myself to some of the toast and eggs they'd left for me. I seriously loved this family.

After my breakfast, I got dressed, and decided to go for a quick walk to try and clear my head. I pulled on some jeans, a light cotton long sleeve shirt, a jacket, and boots. While getting dressed, I found a note Edward had left for me on the dresser.

Bella, I volunteered to do errands, so I could give you a little space. I thought you might want some, even though it'll kill me. I love you, and try not to worry about anything, though I know you will. We'll make it, sweetheart.

Love Edward

P.S I was a perfect gentleman when I helped you into those pajamas… mostly.

The note made me laugh, and made me feel a little better. I tucked it into my pocket, and pulled my hair up into a pony tail. I walked downstairs, humming to myself a little, and just as I opened the door, I came face to face with my mother. She looked surprised for a moment, her hand still raised to knock, and then her expression hardened, and became cool. "Bella. We need to talk."

**Ending Note: **So here it is, finally! I hope you enjoyed it... those of you still reading... Jesus I'm awful about finished things... :( Anyways, I hope you liked it!


	20. Not This Time Ch 20

Do You Believe In Fate?

**Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!**

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! It wasn't done as soon as I'd hoped, but it still got done pretty quick. I hope you guys like it!

**Not This Time **

"Bella, we need to talk." My mother's voice was calm, but there was the hint of heat of anger. I was too stunned to speak for a moment, and when I finally could, I stuttered.

"M-mom! What… what are you doing here?" I fumbled.

"Coming to talk you out of all this nonsense." She said. I stepped out of the doorway, and shut the door behind me, hoping that Liz and Edward Sr. hadn't heard anything.

"Mom, I thought I'd made my position on this matter pretty clear." I hissed, my anger finally overtaking my surprise.

"Yes, and now it's my turn." She paused, and seemed to gather herself up, and I knew I was in for the biggest speech of all time. I'd had lectures… but I had the feeling this was going to be much worse.

"Bella, I'm aware that you are a grown woman. And I know that you can make your own decisions… most of the time. But you need to listen to me, just for a moment. Love can blind you to everything else in your life. It's like putting blinders on, so that all you see is what's right in front of you, and you can't see what going on around you. Not to mention both of your best friends are getting married! It's like your living in this little bubble of fantasy – filled with giddiness and bright hopes. But what happens when that bubble pops? What happens when reality comes crashing in, and you realize that it's not all that it's cracked up to be?" she asked.

My mind was running in circles. "No… no, that's… that's not possible!" I said. But to my surprise my voice sounded unsure. Frightened, I grew angry, and my voice rose as well. "No! Edward and I love each other. Nothing else matters!" I shouted.

"But don't you see? Other things do matter! What about your family, school, a career? Don't you want those things?" My mother pleaded.

"Of course I do! I can have them, with Edward." I said.

"Oh Bella, I wish that were true. But when someone else enters the equation, there's just too many variables. You're always going to have to comprise, to take his dreams, and wants into account. You'll never just be you again. You can lose yourself, in marriage Bella. You lose your identity, your sense of self. All of a sudden there is no you, anymore. Just us." She said.

Somewhere deep inside me, a little voice of niggling doubt whispered. "What if she's right?" My heart began to race. I tried to shove the voice back, but it didn't seem to want to go anywhere. "No! That won't happen! Edward loves me! He'd do anything for me! We won't care about compromising! He'll do anything, because he loves me! We love each other!" I shouted. My mother looked unfazed, but suddenly filled with grief.

"That's just the problem, Bella. One day you'll look up, and realize that you need something more. Or maybe just something different. It could be anything. You'll talk about it, or maybe you won't have to. You'll just know that it's not something he wants, but only you want. And you'll know, that because he loves you, he'll do it anyway. Even if it makes him miserably unhappy. Even if it breaks him, he'll do it. Because he loves you." She said. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke, and a hideous kind of realization dawned on me.

"Dad?" I whispered. She nodded.

"Don't you think I know what it's like to be in love? Don't you think we were happy once? We were… so happy. But I was so young, and I wanted to do, to experience so many things; things that Forks simply couldn't give me. But I knew Charlie was rooted here. I knew it would positively kill him to leave. You know your father; he'd never adjust to the big city life. He would never be happy there. But he would have tried. Damn if that man wouldn't have tried." My mother laughed weekly. Then she looked at me. "He would have tried… for me. He would have made himself absolutely miserable… because he was in love with me. And I couldn't do that to him because… because I loved him too. So I left. I left because I wasn't happy where I was, and I knew it would mean breaking his heart to ask him to leave. I couldn't bear to see him miserable. So I left."

My mom was quiet for a moment, memories and tears swimming in her eyes. "So don't you see, Bella. Even if he doesn't break your heart… You'll break his." She whispered. Horror widened my eyes, and all but stopped my heart. I could handle anything – her telling me he'd hurt me, saying he'd hold me back, because I knew all of that would never be true. I was completely and utterly certain of Edward, and how much he loved me. But the one thing I couldn't stand, was the thought of hurting him; of making him unhappy. That was the only thing I wasn't one hundred percent sure of… myself.

My head was spinning… I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Her words filled my ears, but the image of Edward, looking broken hearted and filled with grief was what swam in front of my eyes. "I… I need to think!" I said, my voice a broken whisper. My mother nodded.

"I'll call you in an hour. We can talk more then." She said. She paused, then gestured to the car she'd driven here. "I'll leave this here… just in case. I'll walk back to Charlie's." She turned, to walk down the drive I suppose, but I didn't wait to see. I ran back into the house, and slammed the door. I had to talk to someone – anyone about what to do. Everyone was out though… Aunt Liz! My mind latched onto her, and I hurried up the stairs, determined to find her. She'd know what to say, what to do.

I sprinted the last little way up the stairs, and hurried along the hall to find her. She'd said they were going to look through photos, but where would they be? I decided to check Edward Sr.'s office first. I made my way, beginning to get a little frantic. I desperately needed comforting words, and a reassuring face. I heard hushed voices, and sprinted towards the sound. It was Liz and Edward Sr., in the office as I'd hoped. The door was left just a little ajar, so I could hear them. I moved forward to knock, but paused when I listened more closely to their conversation.

"Oh Eddie, you're being awfully hard on her don't you think. After all, I know she must love him." I heard Liz say.

"Liz, you are far too romantic. She'll break his heart if they are together." Edward Sr. said gravely. My heart felt like it had taken a heavy blow. My chest ached, and felt constricted, as though a steel band had been tightened around it. Liz sighed.

"I suppose you're right. After all… she's done it before." She said, sadly. What? When had I… then I remembered. When we were children. I'd left him, had gone with my mother. But that wasn't fair! I'd only been a child then! I hadn't had a choice! The voice of doubt deep in my own heart and mind whispered again.

"You could have fought for him. You could have forced your mom to let you talk to him. You could have stopped yourself from forgetting him." My hand went to my heart, and just when my mind was teetering on the edge of doubt, Edward Sr.'s voice tipped it over.

"Yes. I'm afraid they're just no good for each other. Sure they'd be happy for a time… but in the end, they'd only bring each other misery."

Finally I could not take it anymore. All thought but for escape was wiped from my mind, and I bolted back to Edward's room. I shut the door behind me, my chest heaving wildly. If my own mother and both of Edward's parents thought that the future held no happiness for us, then how could I believe not it myself? I had to go away. I had to get out of there, to think. I grabbed my clothes from the drawers, and began throwing them haphazardly into my suitcases. When it was all ready, I went to pick them up to leave, but something held me back. After all, I couldn't just leave. Not without an explanation. Edward would worry himself sick.

I found a pad of paper and a pen in the desk, and started to write him a note.

Edward, I'm so sorry, but I need to go away. I need to think about things. I'm… I'm not sure what to think anymore. I'll call you in a little while. I'm sorry. Bella.

I had just put the note on the desk, and was getting my courage up to pick up the suitcases, when the door opened. I whirled around, to see the person that mattered the most to me in the entire world walk through. He was smiling, his eyes warm on my face. "Good morning sleepy head. Or should I say afternoon." He grinned, and moved towards me. "I'm sorry I left, but I didn't want to wake…" his voice drifted off when he saw the suitcases on the bed, and the expression on my face.

He frowned in confusion. "Bella, what's going on?" he asked. He moved to take my hand. "Is everything alright?" he asked. I pulled away from him, unable to bear his touch when I was trying to leave him. His eyes clouded with hurt. "Bella, tell me what's going on! Is it your mother?" he asked. I didn't answer, but he clearly didn't need me to. "Bella, whatever she's said to you, it's not true. Whatever it is you think, we can move through it." He said, his voice gentle and understanding. I shook my head, and turned away from him, tears escaping from my shut eyes.

I heard him move away from me, and when I turned to look, he was holding my note in his hands. His frown deepened as he read it, and when he looked at me, his face was… stunning. He looked like a fallen angel, a wrenching mixture of fury and grief. "A dear john?" he murmured. "Not even a final I love you?" He asked, tossing the note aside. "What the hell is going on Bella?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

For a moment I had no words. "Edward… I'm so sorry. But… I don't know what I think anymore. I don't know what to feel. I'm just not sure that… that we're good for each other." I said, though what I meant was that I was no good for him. I couldn't bring myself to look at him as I said it, though after a few moments of silence from him, I couldn't stand to not to. I turned and looked at him, but I couldn't read his face. He stared at me, his eyes soft but dark.

"Bella, what are you saying?" he murmured. Tears flowed freely now, because I knew what I had to do, and knew that it would kill us both. But it was better now, than later, when we were a family… had kids. I wouldn't do to a child what my mother did to me.

"I can't be with you Edward." I said, wrenching my own heart from my chest. "I'm sorry, but… it just wouldn't have worked!" I sobbed. I could have handled my own pain, but I saw Edward's in every line of his face, just as I had imagined it, and that I simply couldn't bear.

I picked up the suitcase I'd packed, and dashed around him, unable to look at him a moment longer. I ran as fast as my legs could carry my down the stairs, and out the door. I thought I heard Liz and Edward Sr. call out to me, but I paid them no heed. I wrenched open the front door and all but leaped off the porch. I got into the rental car my mother had left here, and found the keys on the driver's seat. I threw the suitcase into the back of the car, got in, and started it up.

I know that I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself. I looked in the review mirror as I pulled out of the drive. I saw Edward ran out of the house, and stop just off the porch to watch me drive away. My heart trembled, and then I saw him fall to his knees, his face consumed with grief, I thought the pain would kill me. Sobs racked my chest, and I thought it was probably unsafe to drive because the tears were blurring my vision. But I had to keep going. If I stopped, I'd never be able to start again, and I'd go back. But I couldn't do that. Because as much as this hurt, it would hurt more if I left him later on, which my mother had convinced me I would. But god… oh god this hurt. I had never imagined such pain in my entire life. I wondered how I was going to survive it.

EPOV

I couldn't believe it. I could not believe that the love of my life, the only woman that I'd ever wanted to give all of myself to… to spend the rest of my life with, was leaving me. After she rushed out of the room, it was like time stopped for a moment. Everything stood suspended, frozen by my grief. Without her I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't… be. I wasn't me without her. It had been that way my entire life. She truly was the other half of me, the better half. Without her smile, her warmth, her love, I felt as though I had nothing. _So don't let her leave_.

The small voice in my mind jolted me out of my pain induced stupor. Time resumed, and there was no thought in my mind but to stop her from leaving. I had to stop her this time. I ran down the stairs, taking them three at a time, vaguely aware of my parents yelling at me, and then burst out the door. But it was too late… She was already in a car, she was driving away. She was leaving… again. The truth of it weighed me down, and I fell to my knees. I could feel the gravel of our driveway cutting into my knees, and I thought it might be bleeding, but I didn't feel the pain. I watched as she drove out of the driveway, my heart cracking under the weight of the pain. I bowed my head, unable to watch her any longer.

_No… not this time. Don't let her get away this time. Stop her_. The voice in my mind spoke up again, and my head snapped up. Not this time… I came up like a runner off the mark, and all but flew to my car. I fished the keys out of my pocket, and started the engine. I slammed it into gear, and watched gravel fly as I sped out of the driveway. This time… this time would be different. This time, I was going to catch her. This time, she wouldn't be getting away so easily.

BPOV

I couldn't think. If I tried, the pain would kill me. So I turned the radio up as loud as I could stand it, and let the noise drowned out the world. I just had to make it to Charlie's. Then it would be okay. I had to believe it would be okay. It had to be.

My mind was so consumed with my task, that when something streaked ahead of the car like a silver bullet, I almost lost control of the car in my surprise. I looked in the review and saw nothing, but when my eyes darted back to the road ahead of me, I saw Edward's car stopped in the middle of the road. He got out of the car, and leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. I slammed on the breaks, and came to a stop twenty feet from hitting him. My heart was pounding, and I suddenly became very angry. Here I was trying to spare him pain, and he was blocking my clean get away.

I cut the engine, and slammed the car door behind me as I got out. "Edward, what the _hell _are you doing?!" I shouted. "I could have _killed _you!" I screamed. Edward pushed himself off of the hood of his car, looking like a dark god. All fury, and determination. He stalked towards me, his eyes blazing.

"I lost you once, Bella. There's no way in hell I'm losing you again." He said. My heart was pounding again, but for a very different reason. I suddenly found it hard to breathe, and my cheeks were flushed. "You're going to tell me what's going on, and you're going to tell me now." He said, his voice low and dangerous.

My throat had closed off, and even if I had a mind to tell him what was going on, I couldn't have. I shook my head furiously. Edward's eyes narrowed, and he smiled slowly, lethally. I'd only ever seen this side to him once before, when I'd told him I didn't think that I wasn't good enough for him. "Very well. I guess I'll just have to get the truth from you… one way or another." He said. And suddenly his mouth slammed down onto mine, and stole what was left of my breath.

His hands, that so rarely used their strength, lifted me roughly up, and then he laid me down on the hood of my rental car. He leaned his weight against me, and I couldn't help but moan. I arched against him, desperate for his heat, his touch. His mouth seemed to devour me, using teeth and tongue to torture me, his hands pinning my wrists down. When his mouth went to my neck, and bit none to gently, I almost came undone. But miracle of miracles there was still one rational part of my brain, and it forced me to speak.

"Edward…" his mouth sucked on my ear, and I momentarily lost my train of thought. "Edward we're in the middle of the road… on a car." I panted.

"I don't care." He growled, and then his mouth was back on mine, and I abandoned any thought of protest. I kissed him back, pouring everything I had into it, as if my body was trying to apologize for what I'd just attempted to do.

For several moments there was nothing. Nothing but Edward and I, and the heat we could make between us. Then Edward's mouth gentled, his hands soothed, and he slowed to an aching pace, and I thought I would lose myself in the sweetness of it. I was drowning in him, and I never wanted to come up for air. But eventually he pulled away, and stared at me with such love in his eyes, such hurt, that tears sprung back to my eyes. His hand cupped my face, and I couldn't help but lean into his touch. "Bella… please tell me what going on." He murmured.

I couldn't tell him… I couldn't. I began to weep again, and I threw my arms around him. He held onto me, and buried his face in my hair. "Shhh…"

"Don't let go!" I cried. "Don't ever let go!" I begged.

"Never. Never…" He said roughly. We stayed like that for several minutes, until I'd calmed down a little. "Come on. I'm taking you home." He said. I wouldn't have argued even if I could've. He picked me up, and I curled into him like a child. He put me into his car, and then pulled the rental off to the side of the road. Then he got in next to me, and drove us back to his house.

When we got back, he picked me up again, against my meek protests, and carried me inside, and sat down on the couch with me in his arms. Aunt Liz and Edward Sr. rushed in behind us. "Oh Bella! Edward! What on earth happened?" she asked. She went to lay a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched away, still stung by what I'd heard them say. Edward frowned at me, and Aunt Liz looked stunned and hurt.

"Bella?" Edward said questioningly. I bit my lip, and looked at Aunt Liz accusingly.

"I heard what you said earlier… about Edward and me." I said. Edward looked at his mother, his brow raised. Liz looked at her husband, both of them confused.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" Edward's dad asked.

"When you were in the office. You said that I'd left him before and that if we stayed together that I'd leave him again. That we'd only bring each other heartache." I whispered.

Edward looked at his parents, anger flashing in his eyes, and they both looked dismayed. "Oh no, Bella! Oh god, we weren't talking about you and Edward!" Liz said. I frowned.

"What?"

"We saw your mother pull up, and we were waiting in the office for you to get done talking to her. We wanted to give you some privacy. When we saw her, we were remembering what a good couple she and Charlie made before she decided to leave. We were talking about your parents, Bella. Not you and Edward." Liz said, smoothing my hair lovingly, smiling down at me. I blinked.

"You… you weren't talk about us?" I asked, my voice small.

"No! Of course not! We would never think those things about the two of you. You two are meant, Bella." Edward's father said gently. Tears filled my eyes again, and I buried my face in Edward's neck.

"Oh Edward! I've been such an idiot!" I cried, dismayed that I had let my mother get to me, and convince me that everyone thought I'd break Edward's heart.

I felt Edward relax beneath me, and he breathed out a breath. I felt as well as heard him chuckle. "Bella is that what this was all about? You thought my parents said you'd break my heart?" he asked, clearly relieved that it had just been a misunderstanding. I looked up at him, feeling more than a little ashamed, and grieved.

"Well… in part." I said guiltily. Edward raised a brow.

"What's the rest, then?" he asked. I sighed.

"It's kind of a long story." I said.

"Considering the fact that the love of my life, and every life, has just tried to leave me with no explanation, I think I can listen to a long story." Edward said, clearly still hurt. I held on to him more tightly, and his arms tightened around me in response.

I took a deep breath, and began. "Well… my mother came by today. Apparently she took a plane here not long after I did. She came to convince me that you and I were a mistake. And to make me understand why she thought so, she told me about her and my dad. She explained that she fell in love too young, and that she wasn't ready to settle down. She wanted more than Forks could give, but she was so in love with Charlie, that she didn't want to leave at first. And then they had me, and she was really conflicted. But eventually she just couldn't take staying in Forks anymore. But she couldn't bear to ask Charlie to come with her, because she knew that it would make him miserable to be anywhere else. That's why she left him… to try and let him be happy without her." I finished sadly.

Edward frowned. "Okay, but I don't see what that has to do with us." He said. I sighed.

"Well, my mother said that there would no longer be things that I could do, because I'd have you with me, and that there wouldn't be a 'me' anymore, just 'us'. That didn't faze me at first, and I told her that wouldn't be a problem for us… But then she said that what if one day I found something that I wanted… something I wanted desperately but that I knew would make you unhappy. She asked if I could ever let you make yourself unhappy, just because you loved me." I said, bowing my head. "That's why I left, you see. Because I thought "What if she's right? What if one day you are unhappy with where we are, but you stay because you love me?"

I couldn't go on, because the thought still pained me. Edward's hands cupped my face gently, but firmly, and forced me to look at him. His stunning green eyes stared into mine, no doubt or hesitation in them, only truth. "It'll never happen." He murmured. "All that might make sense, but your mother forgot to take one thing into account." He said.

"What?" I murmured.

"Because I love you, I could never be unhappy when I'm with you. As long as we're together, I could never, ever be unhappy, Bella." He said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"Truly?" Edward grinned.

"Really and truly." He said. I threw my arms around him, and held on tight.

"God I'm such an idiot." I whispered.

"Yes." Edward agreed. I laughed, and kissed his neck.

"Don't ever let me do that again. Ever. I thought I'd die from the pain." I said, wincing. Edward's eye darkened, but he somehow managed to keep his touch gentle.

"Done." He murmured, and kissed me.

When he pulled away, his eyes were clouded with a tempting mixture of lust and anger. "Bella, there is one thing that we have to do, if we are going to stay together." He said. I winced.

"Don't ever say if when referring to our relationship, please." I said. Edward's mouth curved, and he kissed me again.

"As you wish. But this one thing…" he repeated. I sighed.

"Alright. What is it?" I asked. His eyes went somber.

"We need to talk to your mother. We can't let her come between us again." He said. I bit my lip. I didn't want to face her again, especially after what I'd just tried to do, but I knew he was right. I nodded.

"Alright. I know you're right. You'll be there with me right? I can't face her alone again." I said. Edward held me close tightly.

"Of course I'll be with you. You'll never be alone again, Bella." He murmured.

"And we'll be there too, won't we Eddie?" Liz said fiercely.

"Of course. It's time to put an end to this nonsense." Edward Sr. said angrily.

My entire body relaxed, and I smiled fully for the first time in several days. I had Edward, and his family on my side. And I knew Charlie would be too. With them, I could face my mother. There was only one thing that could make this better…

"Don't forget us!" I heard a booming voice say. Everyone jerked, and looked to the doorway to see Emmet, Rose, Alice, and Jasper all standing there looking furious and determined.

"Guys!" I cried, and leapt up to pull each one of them into fierce hugs. Emmet hugged me so tight, I almost lost consciousness. "How much have you heard?" I asked.

"We snuck in just as you and Edward came back. We've heard pretty much everything." Rose said, looking furious.

"I cannot believe your mother tried to break you guys up. This has got to stop!" Alice said, looking like a dark little pixie, her face screwed up in anger. I smiled weakly at all of them, too relieved for words.

"Thank you." I murmured. "I love you guys!" I said, hugging them all again. They all smiled at me.

Jasper smiled, and put a hand on my shoulder. "No problem, Bella. Now, who's ready for an intervention?" he asked. Everyone nodded, and I almost laughed as we all headed out to the cars. This time, I would be facing my mother with an army of people who loved me, and who knew what Edward and I were together. This time, she wouldn't win. We would.

**Ending Note: **Hey guys! I hope you guys liked this chapter! The next one will be up soon. And just a little sneak peak for you, you'll hate Bella's mom a lot less in the next chapter. I think they'll be about three or four more chapters… I'm not sure. We'll see. Anyways, thank for reading, reviewing, and faving! :D


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